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Boston City Council
How the Boston City Council voted, from the City Clerk's official minutes. 13 councilors: 4 elected at large and one from each of the city’s 9 districts. Sworn in January 5, 2026. Council President: Liz Breadon (elected January 5, 2026, by 7 votes to 6 over Brian Worrell). Miniard Culpepper (District 7) joined the council. The city has posted minutes through September 30, 2026; the January 28 and August 5, 2026 meetings are not on Legistar. The end date (January 2028) is a placeholder for the next inauguration. Covers 25 meetings so far, January 5 to September 30, 2026.
A monthly email on what it voted on, starting in November.
What does the City Council do? It is the city’s lawmaking body. It passes local laws (ordinances), votes on the yearly budget, and approves borrowing.
The mayor runs the city day to day and proposes the budget.
Sources: Mass. General Laws c. 44 § 32 (city budgets)Vote Transparency Score
Boston City Council: 9 out of 10 · Open
How easy Boston makes it to see, online, how each member votes. It scores the city’s records, not any official. Checked October 9, 2026.
- Minutes postedMinutes are posted for nearly every meeting more than three months old.Full points: 2/2
- Each vote namedWhen councilors split, the minutes list how each one voted.Full points: 3/3
- Posted quicklyMinutes are posted for every meeting more than three months old, but one recent meeting has none.Part points: 1/2
- Past years onlineFive years of City Council minutes are online.Full points: 1/1
- Readable textThe minutes are text you can search and copy.Full points: 1/1
- Member photosThe city’s website shows a named photo of each councilor.Full points: 1/1
How the city can raise its score
- Posted quickly (+1): Post minutes within 30 days. If approval takes longer, post a draft marked “Draft – not yet approved” and replace it later.
How we score · Something wrong, or has the city made a change? Email info@massvoter.com and we’ll re-check.
A monthly email on its votes, starting in November. We'll also tell you if this score changes.
Council sessions
Coming up
- Tue, Oct 13 · 2:30 pmCity Council →
From the agendas Boston posts on its official site. Agendas can change; the posted agenda is the official one.
Councilors
Gabriela Coletta ZapataCouncilor · District 1 · at 19 of 25 meetings✓ Every meeting 2026
Miniard CulpepperCouncilor · District 7 · at 25 of 25 meetings
Sharon DurkanCouncilor · District 8 · at 24 of 25 meetings✓ Every meeting 2026
John FitzGeraldCouncilor · District 3 · at 25 of 25 meetings✓ Every meeting 2026
Edward FlynnCouncilor · District 2 · at 25 of 25 meetings
Ruthzee LouijeuneCouncilor · At-large · at 24 of 25 meetings
Julia MejiaCouncilor · At-large · at 22 of 25 meetings✓ Every meeting 2026
Erin MurphyCouncilor · At-large · at 25 of 25 meetings✓ Every meeting 2026
Enrique PepénCouncilor · District 5 · at 25 of 25 meetings
Henry SantanaCouncilor · At-large · at 24 of 25 meetings
Benjamin WeberCouncilor · District 6 · at 24 of 25 meetings✓ Every meeting 2026
Brian WorrellCouncilor · District 4 · at 25 of 25 meetings"At X of Y meetings" counts the roll call at the start of each meeting in this record. Councilors who step out are listed on each meeting page.
Attendance
25 full-board meetings so far this year, through September 30. Ties share a rank.
1Liz Breadon25 of 25 meetings Every meeting100%1Miniard Culpepper25 of 25 meetings Every meeting100%1John FitzGerald25 of 25 meetings Every meeting100%1Edward Flynn25 of 25 meetings Every meeting100%1Erin Murphy25 of 25 meetings Every meeting100%1Enrique Pepén25 of 25 meetings Every meeting100%1Brian Worrell25 of 25 meetings Every meeting100%8Sharon Durkan24 of 25 meetings96%8Ruthzee Louijeune24 of 25 meetings96%8Henry Santana24 of 25 meetings96%8Benjamin Weber24 of 25 meetings96%12Julia Mejia22 of 25 meetings88%13Gabriela Coletta Zapata19 of 25 meetings76%34 full-board meetings in 2025. Ties share a rank.
1John FitzGerald34 of 34 meetings Every meeting100%1Edward Flynn34 of 34 meetings Every meeting100%1Ruthzee Louijeune34 of 34 meetings Every meeting100%1Julia Mejia34 of 34 meetings Every meeting100%1Erin Murphy34 of 34 meetings Every meeting100%1Henry Santana34 of 34 meetings Every meeting100%1Benjamin Weber34 of 34 meetings Every meeting100%8Sharon Durkan33 of 34 meetings97%9Gabriela Coletta Zapata32 of 34 meetings94%9Brian Worrell32 of 34 meetings94%11Liz Breadon31 of 34 meetings91%11Enrique Pepén31 of 34 meetings91%13Tania Fernandes Anderson16 of 20 meetings · served until Jun80%33 full-board meetings in 2024. Ties share a rank.
1Liz Breadon33 of 33 meetings Every meeting100%1John FitzGerald33 of 33 meetings Every meeting100%1Ruthzee Louijeune33 of 33 meetings Every meeting100%1Erin Murphy33 of 33 meetings Every meeting100%1Benjamin Weber33 of 33 meetings Every meeting100%6Gabriela Coletta Zapata32 of 33 meetings97%6Sharon Durkan32 of 33 meetings97%6Edward Flynn32 of 33 meetings97%6Enrique Pepén32 of 33 meetings97%6Henry Santana32 of 33 meetings97%6Brian Worrell32 of 33 meetings97%12Julia Mejia31 of 33 meetings94%13Tania Fernandes Anderson30 of 33 meetings91%29 full-board meetings in 2023. Ties share a rank.
1Edward Flynn29 of 29 meetings Every meeting100%1Erin Murphy29 of 29 meetings Every meeting100%1Sharon Durkan11 of 11 meetings · served from Aug Every meeting100%4Ricardo Arroyo28 of 29 meetings97%4Liz Breadon28 of 29 meetings97%4Gabriela Coletta Zapata28 of 29 meetings97%4Michael Flaherty28 of 29 meetings97%8Ruthzee Louijeune27 of 29 meetings93%9Kenzie Bok10 of 11 meetings · served until Apr91%10Frank Baker26 of 29 meetings90%10Kendra Lara26 of 29 meetings90%10Julia Mejia26 of 29 meetings90%10Brian Worrell26 of 29 meetings90%14Tania Fernandes Anderson25 of 29 meetings86%27 full-board meetings in 2022. Ties share a rank.
1Kenzie Bok27 of 27 meetings Every meeting100%1Liz Breadon27 of 27 meetings Every meeting100%1Erin Murphy27 of 27 meetings Every meeting100%4Ricardo Arroyo26 of 27 meetings96%4Tania Fernandes Anderson26 of 27 meetings96%4Michael Flaherty26 of 27 meetings96%4Edward Flynn26 of 27 meetings96%4Kendra Lara26 of 27 meetings96%4Ruthzee Louijeune26 of 27 meetings96%10Frank Baker25 of 27 meetings93%10Julia Mejia25 of 27 meetings93%10Brian Worrell25 of 27 meetings93%13Lydia Edwards12 of 13 meetings · served until Apr92%14Gabriela Coletta Zapata11 of 12 meetings · served from May92%From the official minutes: full-board meetings only (committee meetings are not counted). Members are counted only for meetings held while they served, and arriving late counts as attending. The minutes rarely say why a member was absent. Not shown: 2021, because too many of that year’s meetings are missing from the posted minutes.
A monthly email on its votes and who was there, starting in November.
Meetings
About missing minutes
Loaded: every full City Council meeting with minutes on the city’s Legistar site, from September 15, 2021 through September 30, 2026 (159 meetings, regular and special). The Legistar calendar also lists committee hearings and working sessions; those are not loaded, and committee polls taken during council meetings are not shown as council votes. Not here: City Council minutes before September 2021, which are not on Legistar (the city’s older website had text minutes for 2005 to 2010; minutes from 2011 to August 2021 are not online; MassVoter is asking the City Clerk for January 2018 to August 2021). Some meetings are missing from Legistar altogether even though later minutes approve their minutes, including September 14, October 5 and December 7, 2022; April 26, May 17, June 7, August 9 and September 27, 2023; January 28 and August 5, 2026. Boston’s minutes list each docket item and what the council did with it. Items referred to committee, placed on file or left in committee are not votes and are not listed. Most actions are written without a count (“the rules were suspended; the order was passed”, “Passed under suspension of the rules”); for those MassVoter shows the result only and never assumes the vote was unanimous. Roll calls are written as a count, often with names (“yeas 11, nays 2 (Flynn, Murphy)”; since 2026 every yes voter is named too). When the names and the count add up to the councilors present, we show each councilor’s vote; councilors listed as “not present” or “absent” for a vote are left out of it. When they do not add up, or a councilor named in the vote is not on the attendance line, we show the count only and add a note. Elections of the Council President and of the City Clerk show the result only, with a note quoting who voted for whom. We will ask the City Clerk to confirm any noted vote.
Votes where councilors disagreed
Most council votes are unanimous. These are the ones where at least one councilor voted no or abstained, newest first.
Sep 30Order requesting certain information under Section 17F regarding BPS…Motion: On motion of Councilor Murphy, the rules were suspended; the order…Passed · see note
September 30, 2026: Order requesting certain information under Section 17F regarding BPS residency requirements, remote work, contractor classification, and payments to a former senior...
On motion of Councilor Murphy, the rules were suspended; the order was passed.
The minutes give the result only, with no count, so MassVoter does not show how each councilor voted.
From the minutes
“On motion of Councilor Murphy, the rules were suspended; the order was passed..” (Motion: Murphy)
Sep 30Order requesting certain information under Section 17F regarding Boston…Motion: On motion of Councilor Murphy, the rules were suspended; the order…Passed · see note
September 30, 2026: Order requesting certain information under Section 17F regarding Boston Public Schools procurement, contracting, payment controls and implementation of the State...
On motion of Councilor Murphy, the rules were suspended; the order was passed.
The minutes give the result only, with no count, so MassVoter does not show how each councilor voted.
From the minutes
“On motion of Councilor Murphy, the rules were suspended; the order was passed..” (Motion: Murphy)
Sep 30Order requesting certain information under Section 17F regarding roadway…Motion: On motion of Councilor Murphy, the rules were suspended; the order…Passed 11–0 · see note
September 30, 2026: Order requesting certain information under Section 17F regarding roadway alterations and the City's response at Tremont Street and Parker Street
On motion of Councilor Murphy, the rules were suspended; the order was passed: yeas 11 (Breadon, Coletta Zapata, Culpepper, Durkan, FitzGerald, Flynn, Murphy, Pepén, Santana, Weber, Worrell), not present 2 (Louijeune, Mejia).
Yes: Breadon, Culpepper, Durkan, FitzGerald, Flynn, Murphy, Pepén, Santana, Weber, Worrell, ZapataThe minutes list Ruthzee Louijeune and Julia Mejia as not present for this vote.
From the minutes
“On motion of Councilor Murphy, the rules were suspended; the order was passed: yeas 11 (Breadon, Coletta Zapata, Culpepper, Durkan, FitzGerald, Flynn, Murphy, Pepén, Santana, Weber, Worrell), not present 2 (Louijeune, Mejia)..” (Motion: Murphy)
Sep 30Order requesting certain information under Section 17F regarding the…Motion: On motion of Councilor Culpepper, the rules were suspended; the order…Passed · see note
September 30, 2026: Order requesting certain information under Section 17F regarding the status of the Boston Reparations Task Force’s research, reports, and future work
On motion of Councilor Culpepper, the rules were suspended; the order was passed.
The minutes give the result only, with no count, so MassVoter does not show how each councilor voted.
From the minutes
“On motion of Councilor Culpepper, the rules were suspended; the order was passed..” (Motion: Culpepper)
Sep 30Resolution recognizing Tu Hispanidad Flag DayMotion: On motion of Councilor Breadon, the rules were suspended; the resolution…Passed 11–0 · see note
September 30, 2026: Resolution recognizing Tu Hispanidad Flag Day
On motion of Councilor Breadon, the rules were suspended; the resolution was adopted: yeas 11 (Breadon, Culpepper, FitzGerald, Flynn, Louijeune, Mejia, Murphy, Pepén, Santana, Weber, Worrell), not present 2 (Coletta Zapata, Durkan).
Yes: Breadon, Culpepper, FitzGerald, Flynn, Louijeune, Mejia, Murphy, Pepén, Santana, Weber, WorrellThe minutes list Gabriela Coletta Zapata and Sharon Durkan as not present for this vote.
From the minutes
“On motion of Councilor Breadon, the rules were suspended; the resolution was adopted: yeas 11 (Breadon, Culpepper, FitzGerald, Flynn, Louijeune, Mejia, Murphy, Pepén, Santana, Weber, Worrell), not present 2 (Coletta Zapata, Durkan)..” (Motion: Breadon)
Sep 30Resolution celebrating the 103rd Anniversary of the Declaration of…Motion: On motion of Councilor Breadon, the rules were suspended; the resolution…Passed · see note
September 30, 2026: Resolution celebrating the 103rd Anniversary of the Declaration of Republic of Türkiye and the 31st Annual Boston Turkish Arts & Culture Festival
On motion of Councilor Breadon, the rules were suspended; the resolution was adopted.
The minutes give the result only, with no count, so MassVoter does not show how each councilor voted.
From the minutes
“On motion of Councilor Breadon, the rules were suspended; the resolution was adopted..” (Motion: Breadon)
Sep 30Resolution recognizing October 1, 2026, as Nigerian Independence DayMotion: On motion of Councilors Louijeune, Worrell, and Culpepper, the rules were…Passed · see note
September 30, 2026: Resolution recognizing October 1, 2026, as Nigerian Independence Day
On motion of Councilors Louijeune, Worrell, and Culpepper, the rules were suspended; the resolution was adopted.
The minutes give the result only, with no count, so MassVoter does not show how each councilor voted.
From the minutes
“On motion of Councilors Louijeune, Worrell, and Culpepper, the rules were suspended; the resolution was adopted..” (Motion: Louijeune)
Sep 30Resolution recognizing October as Pedestrian Safety Month in the…Motion: On motion of Councilors Pepén, Durkan, and Weber, the rules were…Passed · see note
September 30, 2026: Resolution recognizing October as Pedestrian Safety Month in the City of Boston
On motion of Councilors Pepén, Durkan, and Weber, the rules were suspended; the resolution was adopted.
The minutes give the result only, with no count, so MassVoter does not show how each councilor voted.
From the minutes
“On motion of Councilors Pepén, Durkan, and Weber, the rules were suspended; the resolution was adopted..” (Motion: Pepén)
Sep 30Adopt the consent agenda (the resolutions listed under it…Motion: The items contained within the Consent Agenda were severally adopted.Passed · see note
September 30, 2026: Adopt the consent agenda (the resolutions listed under it in the minutes)
The items contained within the Consent Agenda were severally adopted.
The minutes give the result only, with no count, so MassVoter does not show how each councilor voted.
From the minutes
“The items contained within the Consent Agenda were severally adopted..”
Sep 23Message and order authorizing the City of Boston to…Motion: On motion of Councilor Louijeune, the rules were suspended; the order…Passed 12–0 · see note
September 23, 2026: Message and order authorizing the City of Boston to accept and expend the amount of $250,000.00 in the form of a grant, Boston Family Days Program Support, awarded by...
On motion of Councilor Louijeune, the rules were suspended; the order was passed: yeas 12 (Breadon, Coletta Zapata, Culpepper, Durkan, FitzGerald, Flynn, Louijeune, Murphy, Pepén, Santana, Weber, Worrell), not present 1 (Mejia).
Yes: Breadon, Culpepper, Durkan, FitzGerald, Flynn, Louijeune, Murphy, Pepén, Santana, Weber, Worrell, ZapataThe minutes list Julia Mejia as not present for this vote.
From the minutes
“On motion of Councilor Louijeune, the rules were suspended; the order was passed: yeas 12 (Breadon, Coletta Zapata, Culpepper, Durkan, FitzGerald, Flynn, Louijeune, Murphy, Pepén, Santana, Weber, Worrell), not present 1 (Mejia)..” (Motion: Louijeune)
From the Boston City Council’s official minutes, posted on the city’s Legistar meeting calendar (linked from the City Council page on boston.gov). We check every vote against the councilors present and quote the exact wording. MassVoter never grades or scores officials. Councilor photos: City of Boston (boston.gov), from the official headshots on the City Council page. Former councilors show initials.
How to read these pagesWhere the votes come from, how we check them against the official minutes, what isn't included yet, and how to report a mistake.About city pages →