UPDATED 7/14/17 9:06PM: For grammar & clarity. HOLYOKE—A game of musical chairs—and mayoral ambition—left three of the Paper City’s ward seats on the City Council open(ish) in 2015. Spirited contests to fill them followed. That was on top of a massive at-large field for eight
The budget for the commonwealth emerged from its conference committee cocoon early Friday morning missing the fiscal year’s start last week. While the spending plan did preserve many key programs in the face of declining revenues, more than $400 million was sliced from the House
UPDATED 7/5/17 7:43PM: To include comment from School Committee member Denise Hurst. For the second time in less than a year, the Springfield School Committee is losing a member. Rosa Perez, who represents Wards 1 and 3 on the Committee, offered her resignation on June
Less than two years after defeating a popular state representative, West Springfield mayor William Reichelt is ready to win reelection on a walk. Ballot papers were due today and few races are contests. The mayor’s race is not among them. The incumbent is the only
SPRINGFIELD—Ahead of its summer slowdown, the City Council ripped through a potpourri agenda featuring new ordinances, support for added rail service and derailment of a labor contract. Earlier in the evening, the City Council had unanimously passed Mayor Domenic Sarno’s budget without any cuts. Similar
SPRINGFIELD—On December 3, 1990, amid disputes over the bargaining process, a grim City Council voted 8-0 to approve a contract awarded after “interest arbitration” that ended city cops’ obligation to live in Springfield. The move effectively killed what was left of the residency ordinance as
SPRINGFIELD—Without dissent, the City Council approved Mayor Domenic Sarno’s $629 million spending plan for the fiscal year beginning July 1. The budget included several topline increases in preparation of several downtown projects, most notably the opening of MGM next year. The mayor also touted the
HOLYOKE—Thanks to charter amendments voters approved in 2015, City Hall is undergoing some changes this year. While the prospect of a four-year term thrilled Alex Morse supporters at his mayoral kickoff Monday, shifts in the other branch of city government engender a bit more doubt.
HOLYOKE—The carved horses and lights of the city’s 1920’s merry-go-round whirled in its pavilion. The near-perfect New England weather wafted through the open doors. With City Hall looming to the north, supporters of Jason Ferreira gathered at Heritage State Park for his mayoral campaign kickoff.
HOLYOKE—Surrounded by many of the supporters he has accumulated over six years in office, Alex Morse kicked off his third reelection bid as mayor here. In the banquet hall of the Delaney House, he laid out some of his accomplishments and reiterated the optimism about