A Mayor Called Sue(d) is an occasional series on litigation over the Springfield Police Commission The Police Commission litigation between the Springfield City Council and Mayor Domenic Sarno gingerly advanced this week as both parties filed post-argument briefs. Neither side raised any groundbreaking new theories
For Springfield, 2017 seemed a year that confirmed some of the assumptions about the city. Despite a rare double-retirement at-large, voters did not turn out. But the changeover was consequential. Like the rest of the world, Donald Trump left an impact on Springfield, too. In
UPDATED 10:26AM: For grammar & clarity. Touching off a fresh battle in a politically fraught issue, the Springfield City Council voted to strengthen the city’s employee residency ordinance Monday night. As expected, if surprisingly quickly, Mayor Domenic Sarno vetoed the measure the next day and sent
SPRINGFIELD—For the second year in a row, Mayor Domenic Sarno’s municipal budget achieved passage without any modification from the City Council. The $594.9 million spending plan was touted for needing no reserves or layoffs to bridge deficits. However, councilors did express reservations about the city’s
SPRINGFIELD—Following a more scintillating conversation with the city’s State Senators on the budget, the City Council held its first full meeting in nearly a month clearing end of fiscal year transfers, committee reports and somewhat embarrassing special act. Following one of the bigger WTF moments
UPDATED 4:20PM: For a new link, grammar and clarity. Everyone knew a changing of the guard on Pearl Street was coming, but the swiftness of Mayor Domenic Sarno’s announcement that he would be selecting a new Police Commissioner from the ranks of the city’s deputy
UPDATED 1/25/13 1:06PM: Comments by Councilor Ashe added. SPRINGFIELD—Surrounded by city firefighters, family and colleagues from across the region, Joseph Conant was formally installed as Springfield Fire Commissioner, after a year of holding the job on an acting basis. Conant, 46, takes full and formal
SPRINGFIELD—In a city where the mayor wields tremendous power relative to the legislative branch, it can be difficult to adequately hold the executive branch accountable. Similarly, some councilors may show caution before premature votes, too. However, for either effort to be effective and, just as
Two potentially historic throw downs in the Springfield City Council chamber ended with barely a whimper Monday night. The Council selected its president for the 2013 term and approved the first step of changes to the fire commissioner’s qualifications. Both had the potential to get
Since Springfield’s fiscal crisis began a decade ago, the ebbs and flows of financial distress have rocked few departments as much as the Fire Department. A critical department, it was often given short shrift by the Control Board, and continues to enjoy less public political