MassVoter.com← BridgewaterMunicipal votes · 2020–2021 Council
Bridgewater Town Council
How the Bridgewater Town Council voted, from the Town Council’s official minutes. 9 members. Dennis Gallagher presided until July 2020, then Shawn George. The Council appointed Mark Linde to the District 6 vacancy in February 2020; William Wood joined in July 2020. From March 2021 the minutes list the District 5 seat as vacant. We have loaded minutes from January 2020 on. Covers 30 meetings, January 21 to April 27, 2021.
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 council hires the town manager or administrator, who runs the town day to day and proposes the budget.
Sources: Mass. General Laws c. 44 § 32 (city budgets)Your Bridgewater ballot: 13 quizzes, about a minute each.
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Coming up
- Tue, Oct 20Town Council →
From the agendas Bridgewater posts on its official site. Agendas can change; the posted agenda is the official one.
Members
Fred ChaseTown Member · Town Council · at 30 of 30 meetingsPeter ColombotosTown Member · Town Council · at 26 of 26 meetings · until Feb 2021Timothy FitzgibbonsTown Member · Town Council · at 30 of 30 meetingsDennis GallagherTown Member · Town Council · at 30 of 30 meetings
Mark LindeTown Member · Town Council · at 9 of 9 meetings · from Feb 2020 · until Jun 2020Aisha LoscheTown Member · Town Council · at 30 of 30 meetingsMatthew RushtonTown Member · Town Council · at 27 of 30 meetingsFrancis SousaTown Member · Town Council · at 28 of 30 meetingsWilliam (Bill) WoodTown Member · Town Council · at 19 of 19 meetings · from Jul 2020"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
Not here yet: we have loaded the Town Council’s minutes from January 2020 on. The town has not posted minutes for March 15 to July 2022. Five meetings from early 2022 are scanned documents; we read them with text recognition. Almost every vote is recorded by name. Some votes in 2020 were recorded only as a count and are not listed. Where the names in the minutes do not match the recorded count, we show only the count and note it. 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.
Apr 6ApproveMotion: to approvePassed 7–0 · Abstained: George
April 6, 2021: Approve
To approve
Yes: Chase, Fitzgibbons, Gallagher, Losche, Rushton, Sousa, WoodAbstained: George
From the minutes
“Councilor Fitzgibbons made a motion to approve which was duly seconded. A roll call vote was taken with results recorded as follows: Fitzgibbons - YEA; VACANCY - D5; Sousa - YEA; Rushton - YEA; George - ABSTAIN; Wood - YEA; Chase - YEA; Losche - YEA; Gallagher - YEA. The motion passed 7-0-1.” (Motion: Fitzgibbons)
Mar 23ApproveMotion: to approvePassed 6–0 · Abstained: Rushton
March 23, 2021: Approve
To approve
Yes: Chase, Fitzgibbons, Gallagher, Losche, Sousa, WoodAbstained: RushtonAbsent: George
From the minutes
“Councilor Fitzgibbons made a motion to approve which was duly seconded. A roll call vote was taken with results recorded as follows: Fitzgibbons - YEA; VACANCY - D5; Sousa - YEA; Rushton - Abstain; George - Absent; Wood - YEA; Chase - YEA; Losche - YEA; Gallagher - YEA. The motion passed 6-0.” (Motion: Fitzgibbons)
Mar 23Suspend the rules and take up Ordinance D-FY21-006Motion: to suspend the rules and take up Ordinance D-FY21-006Passed 5–2 · No: Chase, Wood
March 23, 2021 · Item D-FY21-006: Suspend the rules and take up Ordinance D-FY21-006
To suspend the rules and take up Ordinance D-FY21-006
Yes: Fitzgibbons, Gallagher, Losche, Rushton, SousaNo: Chase, WoodAbsent: George
From the minutes
“Councilor Fitzgibbons made a motion suspend the rules and take up Ordinance D-FY21-006 which was duly seconded. A roll call vote was taken with results recorded as follows: Fitzgibbons - YEA; VACANCY - D5; Sousa - YEA; Rushton - YEA; George - ABSENT; Wood - NO; Chase - NO; Losche - YEA; Gallagher - YEA. The motion passed 5-2.” (Motion: Fitzgibbons)
Feb 23Continue the hearing to 3/9/21Motion: to continue the hearing to 3/9/21Passed 7–1 · No: Losche
February 23, 2021: Continue the hearing to 3/9/21
To continue the hearing to 3/9/21
Yes: Chase, Fitzgibbons, Gallagher, George, Rushton, Sousa, WoodNo: LoscheAbsent: Colombotos
From the minutes
“Councilor Fitzgibbons made a motion to continue the hearing to 3/9/21 which was duly seconded. A roll call vote was taken with results recorded as follows: Gallagher - YEA; Losche - NO; Chase - YEA; Wood - YEA; George - YEA; Rushton - YEA; Sousa - YEA; Colombotos - NOT PRESENT; Fitzgibbons - YEA. The motion passed 7-1.” (Motion: Fitzgibbons)
Feb 2Amend the amendment by adding after the word "marijuana"…Motion: to amend the amendment by adding after the word "marijuana" in…Failed 2–7 · No: Colombotos, Gallagher, George, Losche, Rushton, Sousa, Wood
February 2, 2021 · Item O-FY21-029: Amend the amendment by adding after the word "marijuana" in the question "limited to no more than two licenses"
To amend the amendment by adding after the word "marijuana" in the question "limited to no more than two licenses"
Yes: Chase, FitzgibbonsNo: Colombotos, Gallagher, George, Losche, Rushton, Sousa, Wood
From the minutes
“Councilor Fitzgibbons made a motion to amend the amendment by adding after the word "marijuana" in the question "limited to no more than two licenses" which was duly seconded. A roll call vote was taken with results recorded as follows: Gallagher - NO; Losche - NO; Chase - YEA; Wood - NO; George - NO; Rushton - NO; Sousa - NO; Colombotos - NO; Fitzgibbons - YEA. The motion failed 2-7.” (Motion: Fitzgibbons)
Jan 19Amend the main motion to include having the order…Motion: to amend the main motion to include having the order come…Passed 7–2 · No: Rushton, Wood
January 19, 2021 · Item O-FY21-029: Amend the main motion to include having the order come back at the Council's next meeting
To amend the main motion to include having the order come back at the Council's next meeting
Yes: Chase, Colombotos, Fitzgibbons, Gallagher, George, Losche, SousaNo: Rushton, Wood
From the minutes
“Councilor Wood made a motion to amend the main motion to include having the order come back at the Council's next meeting which was duly seconded. A roll call vote was taken with results recorded as follows: Fitzgibbons - YEA; Colombotos - YEA; Sousa - YEA; Rushton - NO; George - YEA; Wood - NO; Chase - YEA; Losche - YEA; Gallagher - YEA. The motion passed 7-2.” (Motion: Wood)
Jan 19Bring the measure back for a second reading on…Motion: to bring the measure back for a second reading on 2/2/21Failed 3–6 · No: Fitzgibbons, Gallagher, George, Losche, Rushton, Sousa
January 19, 2021: Bring the measure back for a second reading on 2/2/21
To bring the measure back for a second reading on 2/2/21
Yes: Chase, Colombotos, WoodNo: Fitzgibbons, Gallagher, George, Losche, Rushton, Sousa
From the minutes
“Councilor Wood made a motion to bring the measure back for a second reading on 2/2/21 which was duly seconded. A roll call vote was taken with results recorded as follows: Gallagher - NO; Losche - NO; Chase - YEA; Wood - YEA; George - NO; Rushton - NO; Sousa - NO; Colombotos - YEA; Fitzgibbons - NO. The motion failed 3-6.” (Motion: Wood)
Jan 5Declare the Council's intent to lay out the wayMotion: to declare the Council's intent to lay out the wayPassed 9–0 · see note
January 5, 2021 · Item O-FY21-026: Declare the Council's intent to lay out the way
To declare the Council's intent to lay out the way
The minutes record the result as 9–0, but the list of names does not match that count, so individual votes are not shown.
From the minutes
“Councilor Fitzgibbons made a motion to declare the Council's intent to lay out the way which was duly seconded. A roll call vote was taken with results recorded as follows: Fitzgibbons - YEA; Colombotos - YEA; Losche - YEA; Rushton - YEA; Gallagher - YEA; George - YEA; Linde - YEA; Chase - YEA; Sousa - YEA. The motion passed 9-0.” (Motion: Fitzgibbons)
Nov 10ApproveMotion: to approvePassed 8–0 · Abstained: Rushton
November 10, 2020: Approve
To approve
Yes: Chase, Colombotos, Fitzgibbons, Gallagher, George, Losche, Sousa, WoodAbstained: Rushton
From the minutes
“Councilor Fitzgibbons made a motion to approve which was duly seconded. A roll call vote was taken with results recorded as follows: Fitzgibbons - YEA; Colombotos - YEA; Sousa - YEA; Rushton - ABSTAIN; George - YEA; Wood - YEA; Chase - YEA; Losche - YEA; Gallagher - YEA. The motion passed 8-0-1.” (Motion: Fitzgibbons)
Nov 10Approve (O-FY21-020)Motion: to approvePassed 8–1 · No: Fitzgibbons
November 10, 2020 · Item O-FY21-020: Approve (O-FY21-020)
To approve
Yes: Chase, Colombotos, Gallagher, George, Losche, Rushton, Sousa, WoodNo: Fitzgibbons
From the minutes
“Councilor Fitzgibbons made a motion to approve which was duly seconded. A roll call vote was taken with results recorded as follows: Fitzgibbons - NO; Colombotos - YEA; Sousa - YEA; Rushton - YEA; George - YEA; Wood - YEA; Chase - YEA; Losche - YEA; Gallagher - YEA. The motion passed 8-1.” (Motion: Fitzgibbons)
From the Bridgewater Town Council’s official minutes, posted on the town’s CivicClerk portal. We check every roll call against the recorded count and quote the exact wording. MassVoter never grades officials; votes and attendance are shown exactly as the minutes record them. Member photos: Town of Bridgewater Town Council page (bridgewaterma.gov); Paul Murphy from his MIT staff page. Mark Linde from a BTV (Bridgewater access TV) “Candidate’s Corner” video. Mary McGrath and Michaela Spagone from the Town of Bridgewater video of the September 15, 2026 Town Council meeting (identified by the nameplate in front of each member).
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 →