SPRINGFIELD—Weeks after the release of a budget with far less pain and sacrifice than years past, Mayor Domenic’s Sarno’s spending plan passed the City Council without so much as a hiccup. With up to four hearings scheduled to debate and pass the budget, only the
SPRINGFIELD—The day before his hearing to object to the qualifications of one of his opponents, Ward 7 Councilor Timothy Allen secured some political reinforcements in his quest to matriculate from the City Council to the State Senate. Allen, representing the ward that includes the city’s
UPDATED 6/4/14 6:15PM: The Springfield City Council gave final approval to the Putnam Bonds after brief debate. The vote was 11-2. More details here. SPRINGFIELD—Facing an agenda laden with some heavy issues, for the first time in a while, the Council stayed in session late
SPRINGFIELD—Eliciting boos from the gallery for hesitating on one issue, the City Council moved a matter to committee, while finally making progress on another Monday night. Nevertheless, the issue set the stage for what may be many confrontations between the mayor and the Council in
SPRINGFIELD—The new City Council President moved quickly only a day after his election to appoint committees for the Council’s 2014 term. Ward 2 Councilor Michael Fenton shuffled the seats on the Council’s committee Tuesday and announced the formation of two policy-centric proactive committees, which will
SPRINGFIELD—With a burst of legislation and a handful of grants, the City Council here closed out the year and, for that matter, itself with the last bit of business before the new year and the new Council is sworn. After some deliberation on a new
UPDATED 12/5/13 10:57AM: To reflect a CORRECTION. Upon reviewing the tape of Monday’s council meeting, neither the Fire nor the Police Commission ordinances received first step. They were both referred to committee. SPRINGFIELD—This Monday at its penultimate regular meeting of the term (there is a
It is that time of the year once again. Election Day is only two days away. Please take a moment to visit the Secretary of the Commonwealth‘s website to learn where your polling place is, but also your ward to know what races you will
SPRINGFIELD—The Dean of the Springfield City Council may have summed it up best himself. “I think people are still trying to figure me out,” at-large Councilor Tim Rooke said, contemplating his place in the city’s politics. Rooke, who has served on the Council since 1995,
UPDATED 10/10/13 3:32PM: Comments from the Council’s Public Safety Committee Chair Thomas Ashe added; clarification between last month’s defeated pawnbroker ordinance and the one referred to committee; and confirmation as to when the old holding period was shortened to the current 10 days. SPRINGFIELD—With elections