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Braintree Town Council
How the Braintree Town Council voted, from the Town Council’s official minutes. 9 members: 3 elected townwide (at-large) and 6 by district, for two-year terms. Nine members sworn in on January 2, 2018: three at-large (Sean Powers, Charles Ryan, Shannon Hume) and six district members. That day the board elected Charles Ryan as Council President (8 votes to 1, Stephen O'Brien voting no) and Charles Kokoros as Vice-President. Covers 40 meetings, January 2 to December 17, 2019.
A monthly email on what it voted on, starting in November.
What does the Town Council do? It is the town’s lawmaking body (this town has no Town Meeting). It passes local laws (bylaws or ordinances), votes on the yearly budget, and approves borrowing and zoning changes.
The mayor runs the town day to day and proposes the budget.
Sources: Mass. General Laws c. 44 § 32 (city budgets)Your Braintree ballot: 13 quizzes, about a minute each.
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From the agendas Braintree posts on its official site. Agendas can change; the posted agenda is the official one.
Members
David RingiusMember · Member at-large (District 5 Member 2018–2019) · at 34 of 40 meetingsThomas WhalenMember · District 2 Member · at 34 of 40 meetings"At X of Y meetings" counts the members the minutes list as present at the start of each meeting in this record. Members who step out are listed on each meeting page.
Meetings
About missing minutes
Loaded: Braintree Town Council minutes from January 2, 2018 through June 16, 2026, full-board meetings only (council committee meetings, such as Ways & Means, are not included). Minutes through September 16, 2025 come from the Minutes column of the town’s Agenda Center, which holds the board’s minutes back to 2015. The town has not posted minutes in that column for any meeting after September 16, 2025. For October 7, 2025 through June 16, 2026, the Clerk of the Council sent MassVoter the approved minutes on October 6, 2026 (the town plans to post them on its website); each of those meeting pages links to MassVoter’s copy, and they match, word for word, the drafts in the board’s agenda packets. Not held: January 22, 2019 and February 24, 2026 (both cancelled because of snow) and the September 21, 2022 special meeting, according to the Clerk of the Council. Not here yet: July 7, 2026 and later (the town is still preparing these minutes). Braintree’s minutes record nearly every vote with names, such as “Vote: For (7 – Boericke, Flaherty, Maglio, Morin, Quilty, Reynolds, Ryan), Against (0), Absent (2 – Hume, Ringius), Abstain (0)”, and we show each member’s vote as recorded. In early 2018 the minutes give the yes votes as a count only, such as “For (8), Against (0), Absent (1 - Whalen)”; when every other member is named and the numbers add up, the rest are shown as voting yes. Where the names and counts disagree, a name is listed twice, or a member listed as voting is not on the meeting’s attendance line, we show the count only and add a note. The minutes record adjournment as “It was unanimously voted to adjourn”; we show it as a yes vote by the members on the last roll call of the meeting. The votes choosing the Council President in 2020 and 2024 (two nominees each time) are shown as results, with a note quoting the minutes. We will ask the town to confirm any noted vote.
Votes where members disagreed
Most board votes are unanimous. These are the ones where at least one member voted no or abstained, newest first.
Dec 17Approve Order 19 048: 19 048 Mayor: Request for…Motion: Motion: by Member Kokoros to Approve Order 19 048Passed 8–1 · No: O'Brien
December 17, 2019: Approve Order 19 048: 19 048 Mayor: Request for Appropriation - Winfield Adams Playground Baseball Field Renovation Project
Motion: by Councilor Kokoros to Approve Order 19 048
Yes: Bowes, Carey, Hume, Kokoros, Powers, Ringius, Ryan, WhalenNo: O'Brien
From the minutes
“Motion: by Councilor Kokoros to Approve Order 19 048 Second: by Councilor Powers Vote: For (8 – Bowes, Carey, Hume, Kokoros, Powers, Ringius, Ryan, Whalen), Against (1 – O'Brien), Absent (0), Abstain (0).” (Motion: Kokoros, second: Powers)
Dec 3Approve Order 19 046 (2): 19 046 Mayor: Tax…Motion: Motion: by Member Kokoros to Approve Order 19 046 (2)Passed 7–0 · Abstained: Kokoros
December 3, 2019: Approve Order 19 046 (2): 19 046 Mayor: Tax Rate Classification
Motion: by Councilor Kokoros to Approve Order 19 046 (2)
Yes: Bowes, Carey, Hume, O'Brien, Powers, Ryan, WhalenAbstained: Kokoros
From the minutes
“Motion: by Councilor Kokoros to Approve Order 19 046 (2) Second: by Councilor Powers Vote: For (7 – Bowes, Carey, Hume, O'Brien, Powers, Ryan, Whalen), Against (0), Absent (1 - Ringius), Abstain (1 - Kokoros).” (Motion: Kokoros, second: Powers)
Nov 6Approve Order 19 036: 19 036 Mayor: Re-Appointment -…Motion: Motion: by Member Kokoros to Approve Order 19 036Passed 8–1 · No: O'Brien
November 6, 2019: Approve Order 19 036: 19 036 Mayor: Re-Appointment - Braintree Contributory Retirement Board, Edward J. Spellman, Jr
Motion: by Councilor Kokoros to Approve Order 19 036
Yes: Bowes, Carey, Hume, Kokoros, Powers, Ringius, Ryan, WhalenNo: O'Brien
From the minutes
“Motion: by Councilor Kokoros to Approve Order 19 036 Second: by Councilor Powers Vote: For (8 – Bowes, Carey, Hume, Kokoros, Powers, Ringius, Ryan, Whalen), Against (1 – O'Brien), Absent (0), Abstain (0).” (Motion: Kokoros, second: Powers)
Nov 6Approve Order 19 037: 19 037 Mayor: Appointment -…Motion: Motion: by Member Kokoros to Approve Order 19 037Passed 8–1 · No: O'Brien
November 6, 2019: Approve Order 19 037: 19 037 Mayor: Appointment - Braintree Contributory Retirement Board, Joseph R. Driscoll, Jr
Motion: by Councilor Kokoros to Approve Order 19 037
Yes: Bowes, Carey, Hume, Kokoros, Powers, Ringius, Ryan, WhalenNo: O'Brien
From the minutes
“Motion: by Councilor Kokoros to Approve Order 19 037 Second: by Councilor Powers Vote: For (8 – Bowes, Carey, Hume, Kokoros, Powers, Ringius, Ryan, Whalen), Against (1 – O'Brien), Absent (0), Abstain (0).” (Motion: Kokoros, second: Powers)
Nov 6Approve Order 19 039: 19 039 Mayor: Appointment –…Motion: Motion: by Member Kokoros to Approve Order 19 039Passed 8–1 · No: O'Brien
November 6, 2019: Approve Order 19 039: 19 039 Mayor: Appointment – Conservation Commission, Kimberly Kroha
Motion: by Councilor Kokoros to Approve Order 19 039
Yes: Bowes, Carey, Hume, Kokoros, Powers, Ringius, Ryan, WhalenNo: O'Brien
From the minutes
“Motion: by Councilor Kokoros to Approve Order 19 039 Second: by Councilor Powers Vote: For (8 – Bowes, Carey, Hume, Kokoros, Powers, Ringius, Ryan, Whalen), Against (1 – O'Brien), Absent (0), Abstain (0).” (Motion: Kokoros, second: Powers)
Oct 15Approve Order 19 033: 19 033 National Grid Petition:…Motion: Motion: by Member Kokoros to Approve Order 19 033Passed Unanimous, 8 present · see note
October 15, 2019: Approve Order 19 033: 19 033 National Grid Petition: Commercial Street
Motion: by Councilor Kokoros to Approve Order 19 033
The vote line lists David Ringius as absent for this vote (this councilor was at the meeting but not in the room, or arrived later).
From the minutes
“Motion: by Councilor Kokoros to Approve Order 19 033 Second: by Councilor Powers Vote: For (8 – Bowes, Carey, Hume, Kokoros, O'Brien, Powers, Ryan, Whalen), Against (0), Absent (1 - Ringius), Abstain (0).” (Motion: Kokoros, second: Powers)
Oct 15Approve Order 19 034: 19 034 National Grid Petition:…Motion: Motion: by Member Kokoros to Approve Order 19 034Passed Unanimous, 8 present · see note
October 15, 2019: Approve Order 19 034: 19 034 National Grid Petition: Elm Street and Adams Street
Motion: by Councilor Kokoros to Approve Order 19 034
The vote line lists David Ringius as absent for this vote (this councilor was at the meeting but not in the room, or arrived later).
From the minutes
“Motion: by Councilor Kokoros to Approve Order 19 034 Second: by Councilor Powers Vote: For (8 – Bowes, Carey, Hume, Kokoros, O'Brien, Powers, Ryan, Whalen), Against (0), Absent (1 - Ringius), Abstain (0).” (Motion: Kokoros, second: Powers)
Oct 1Approve Order 19 031: 19 031 Mayor: Stretch Energy…Motion: Motion: by Member Kokoros to Approve Order 19 031Passed 7–0 · see note
October 1, 2019: Approve Order 19 031: 19 031 Mayor: Stretch Energy Code General Ordinance Update
Motion: by Councilor Kokoros to Approve Order 19 031
The vote line lists Sean Powers and Thomas Whalen as voting, but the attendance line does not list them as present. Showing the count only. The minutes name Sean Powers as the seconder, but Sean Powers is not on the attendance line, so no seconder is shown.
From the minutes
“Motion: by Councilor Kokoros to Approve Order 19 031 Second: by Councilor Powers Vote: For (7 –Carey, Kokoros, O'Brien, Powers, Ringuius, Ryan, Whalen), Against (0), Absent (2 – Bowes, Hume), Abstain (0).” (Motion: Kokoros)
Oct 1Approve Order 19 035: 19 035 Town Clerk: Call…Motion: Motion: by Member Kokoros to Approve Order 19 035Passed 7–0 · see note
October 1, 2019: Approve Order 19 035: 19 035 Town Clerk: Call of the General Election - November 5, 2019
Motion: by Councilor Kokoros to Approve Order 19 035
The vote line lists Sean Powers and Thomas Whalen as voting, but the attendance line does not list them as present. Showing the count only. The minutes name Sean Powers as the seconder, but Sean Powers is not on the attendance line, so no seconder is shown.
From the minutes
“Motion: by Councilor Kokoros to Approve Order 19 035 Second: by Councilor Powers Vote: For (7 –Carey, Kokoros, O'Brien, Powers, Ringuius, Ryan, Whalen), Against (0), Absent (2 – Bowes, Hume), Abstain (0).” (Motion: Kokoros)
Jul 16That in accordance with the provisions of Chapter 44B…Motion: MOTION: That in accordance with the provisions of Chapter 44B of…Passed Unanimous, 8 present · see note
July 16, 2019: That in accordance with the provisions of Chapter 44B of the General Laws and with the recommendation of the Community Preservation Committee, a total amount of $17,500 be appropriated from…
MOTION: That in accordance with the provisions of Chapter 44B of the General Laws and with the recommendation of the Community Preservation Committee, a total amount of $17,500 be appropriated from the Unreserved Fund for Braintree's local match for the Municipal Vulnerability Preparedness Program-Action Grant from the Massachusetts Division of Ecological Restoration, said funds are to be expended under the direction of the Community Preservation Committee and the Director of Planning and Community Development. Motion: by Councilor Kokoros
The vote line lists David Ringius as absent for this vote (this councilor was at the meeting but not in the room, or arrived later).
From the minutes
“MOTION: That in accordance with the provisions of Chapter 44B of the General Laws and with the recommendation of the Community Preservation Committee, a total amount of $17,500 be appropriated from the Unreserved Fund for Braintree's local match for the Municipal Vulnerability Preparedness Program-Action Grant from the Massachusetts Division of Ecological Restoration, said funds are to be expended under the direction of the Community Preservation Committee and the Director of Planning and Community Development. Motion: by Councilor Kokoros Second: by Councilor Powers Vote: For (8 – Bowes, Carey, Hume, Kokoros, O'Brien, Powers, Ryan, Whalen), Against (0), Absent (1 - Ringius), Abstain (0).” (Motion: Kokoros, second: Powers)
From the Braintree Town Council’s official minutes, posted in the town’s Agenda Center (the newest minutes, October 2025 through June 2026, are approved copies sent to MassVoter by the Clerk of the Council). We check every vote against the members present and quote the exact wording. MassVoter never grades or scores officials. Photos: Town of Braintree (Town Council page).
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