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
SPRINGFIELD—Last Monday the City Council dispatched two big issues that had been hovering over it for weeks and even months. A revised version of a public safety measure aimed at reassuring undocumented immigrants passed unanimously. Meanwhile, the Council approved the first public safety labor contract
SPRINGFIELD—It was not the most crowded kickoff this election cycle and the at-large field is hypercompetitive this year. But as Jynai McDonald strode into Palate on Boston Road, the energy was hard to miss. The prospect of an open at-large seat has uncorked interest and
Longmeadow Daze is an occasional series reporting on and analyzing Longmeadow government and politics. Retiring School Committee member Michael Clark may be leaving town office, but he has not left the Longmeadow’s political scene. In a statement last week, the 27 year-old outgoing town official
SPRINGFIELD—In a historic vote Monday night, the City Council voted to approve a collective bargaining contract with one of the city’s major public safety bargaining units that includes operative language on residency. The pact requires firefighters hired after July 8, 2017 to live in the
Scripture says God gave humanity dominion over the Earth, but not license to irresponsibly exploit it. Quite the opposite, as Pope Francis observed in his encyclical on climate change, Laudato Si. “Each community can take from the bounty of the earth whatever it needs for