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Fall River City Council
How the Fall River City Council voted, from the City Clerk's official minutes. 9 councilors, all elected at-large. Elected November 2015; organization meeting January 4, 2016. Covers 50 meetings, January 4 to December 19, 2017.
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 and zoning changes.
The mayor runs the city day to day and proposes the budget.
Sources: Mass. General Laws c. 44 § 32 (city budgets)Your Fall River ballot: 16 quizzes, about a minute each.
Start my ballot →Council sessions
Coming up
MassVoter can’t read Fall River’s meeting calendar automatically yet. See upcoming meetings on the official site →
Councilors
PresidentShawn E. CadimeCouncil President · At-large · at 45 of 48 meetings
Vice PresidentLinda M. PereiraCouncil Vice President · At-large · at 45 of 48 meetings
Richard CabeceirasCity Councilor · At-large · at 45 of 48 meetings
Joseph D. CamaraCity Councilor · At-large · at 45 of 48 meetings
Pamela S. LaliberteCity Councilor · At-large · at 44 of 48 meetings
Stephen R. LongCity Councilor · At-large · at 46 of 48 meetings
Raymond A. MitchellCity Councilor · At-large · at 45 of 48 meetings
Cliff A. PonteCity Councilor · At-large · at 44 of 48 meetings
Steven A. CamaraCity Councilor · At-large · at 48 of 48 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.
Meetings
About missing minutes
Not here yet: the City Clerk has not posted minutes for the January 2, 2018 organization meeting or the October 8, 2019 executive session, and the city’s link for the February 11, 2020 minutes opens the agenda instead. For 2016–2017, the posted minutes for July 12 and August 16, 2016 are agendas marked with the action taken (they don’t list who attended), the city’s link for the October 24, 2017 minutes opens the agenda (we used the minutes the council approved in August 2018), and Committee on Finance and Public Hearings minutes for some 2016–2017 meetings were never posted. A few older minutes have possible errors (noted on those votes); we will ask the City Clerk for the missing minutes and to confirm those votes.
Votes where councilors disagreed
Most council votes are unanimous. These are the ones where at least one councilor voted no or abstained, newest first.
Dec 19Mayor req. confirmation of appointments to the following —…Motion: to confirm the appointmentFailed 4–5 · No: Cabeceiras, Cadime, Laliberte, Mitchell, Pereira
December 19, 2017 · Item 1b: Mayor req. confirmation of appointments to the following — Cheryl Costa to the Commission on Disability
To confirm the appointment
Yes: Joseph D. Camara, Long, Ponte, Steven A. CamaraNo: Cabeceiras, Cadime, Laliberte, Mitchell, Pereira
From the minutes
“On a motion made by Councilor Steven A. Camara and seconded by Councilor Cliff Ponte, it was voted 4 yeas, 5 nays to confirm the appointment with Councilors Richard Cabeceiras, Pam Laliberte-Lebeau, Raymond A. Mitchell, Linda M. Pereira and Shawn E. Cadime voting in the negative and the motion failed to carry.” (Motion: Steven A. Camara, second: Ponte)
Dec 19FaMotion: to adopt an emergency preamble for the transferPassed 8–1 · No: Steven A. Camara
To adopt an emergency preamble for the transfer
Yes: Cabeceiras, Cadime, Joseph D. Camara, Laliberte, Long, Mitchell, Pereira, PonteNo: Steven A. Camara
From the minutes
“On a motion made by Councilor Joseph D. Camara and seconded by Councilor Raymond A. Mitchell, it was voted 8 yeas, 1 nay to adopt an emergency preamble for the transfer with Councilor Steven A. Camara voting in the negative.” (Motion: Joseph D. Camara, second: Mitchell)
Dec 19FaMotion: to adopt the orderPassed 8–1 · No: Steven A. Camara
To adopt the order
Yes: Cabeceiras, Cadime, Joseph D. Camara, Laliberte, Long, Mitchell, Pereira, PonteNo: Steven A. Camara
From the minutes
“On a further motion made by Councilor Raymond A. Mitchell and seconded by Councilor Linda M. Pereira, it was voted 8 yeas, 1 nay to adopt the order with Councilor Steven A. Camara voting in the negative.” (Motion: Mitchell, second: Pereira)
Dec 19Veto of order to remove the approved easement that…Motion: to override the Mayor's vetoPassed 7–1 · No: Steven A. Camara · Abstained: Joseph D. Camara
December 19, 2017 · Item 2: Mayor and veto of order to remove the approved easement that crosses the Alfred J. Lima Quequechan River Rail Trail
To override the Mayor's veto
Yes: Cabeceiras, Cadime, Laliberte, Long, Mitchell, Pereira, PonteNo: Steven A. CamaraAbstained: Joseph D. Camara
From the minutes
“On a motion made by Councilor Richard Cabeceiras and seconded by Councilor Linda M. Pereira, it was voted 7 yeas, 1 nay to override the Mayor's veto with Councilor Steven A. Camara voting in the negative and Councilor Joseph D. Camara abstaining.” (Motion: Cabeceiras, second: Pereira)
Dec 19Easements submitted for City Council approval be referred to…Motion: to adopt the resolutionFailed 2–7 · No: Cadime, Joseph D. Camara, Laliberte, Long, Pereira, Ponte, Steven A. Camara
December 19, 2017 · Item 21d: Easements submitted for City Council approval be referred to the Real Estate Committee
To adopt the resolution
Yes: Cabeceiras, MitchellNo: Cadime, Joseph D. Camara, Laliberte, Long, Pereira, Ponte, Steven A. Camara
From the minutes
“On a motion made by Councilor Raymond A. Mitchell and seconded by Councilor Linda M. Pereira, it was voted 2 yeas, 7 nays to adopt the resolution and the motion failed to carry with Councilors Joseph D. Camara, Steven A. Camara, Pam Laliberte-Lebeau, Stephen R. Long, Linda M. Pereira, Cliff Ponte and Shawn E. Cadime voting in the negative.” (Motion: Mitchell, second: Pereira)
Dec 19Interested parties be invited to a future meeting of…Motion: to lift the resolution from the tablePassed 5–4 · No: Joseph D. Camara, Long, Pereira, Steven A. Camara
December 19, 2017 · Item 21e: Interested parties be invited to a future meeting of the City Council Committee on Finance to discuss the plan for paying Fall River's portion of the new Durfee High School's…
To lift the resolution from the table
Yes: Cabeceiras, Cadime, Laliberte, Mitchell, PonteNo: Joseph D. Camara, Long, Pereira, Steven A. Camara
From the minutes
“On a motion made by Councilor Richard Cabeceiras and seconded by Councilor Cliff Ponte, it was voted 5 yeas, 4 nays to lift the resolution from the table with Councilors Joseph D, Camara, Steven A. Camara, Stephen R. Long and Linda M. Pereira voting in the negative.” (Motion: Cabeceiras, second: Ponte)
Nov 28School Department Building Committee consider public hearing to discuss…Motion: to grant the resolution leave to withdrawFailed 3–6 · No: Cabeceiras, Cadime, Laliberte, Long, Ponte, Steven A. Camara
November 28, 2017 · Item 3: School Department Building Committee consider public hearing to discuss alternatives to Elsbree Street location for Durfee High School
To grant the resolution leave to withdraw
Yes: Joseph D. Camara, Mitchell, PereiraNo: Cabeceiras, Cadime, Laliberte, Long, Ponte, Steven A. Camara
From the minutes
“A motion made by Councilor Raymond A. Mitchell and seconded by Councilor Linda M. Pereira to grant the resolution leave to withdraw failed to carry 3 yeas, 6 nays, with Councilors Joseph D. Camara, Raymond A. Mitchell, and Linda M. Pereira voting in the affirmative.” (Motion: Mitchell, second: Pereira)
Nov 28HUD conduct audit of funds that were appropriated to…Motion: to grant the resolution leave to withdrawPassed 5–4 · No: Joseph D. Camara, Laliberte, Long, Ponte
November 28, 2017 · Item 4: HUD conduct audit of funds that were appropriated to the Fall River Office of Economic Development
To grant the resolution leave to withdraw
Yes: Cabeceiras, Cadime, Mitchell, Pereira, Steven A. CamaraNo: Joseph D. Camara, Laliberte, Long, Ponte
From the minutes
“Councilor Steven A. Camara made a point of parliamentary inquiry to determine if a motion was on the floor and since there wasn't one, he moved to grant the resolution leave to withdraw, which was seconded by.Councilor Raymond A. Mitchell and the motion carried 5 yeas, 4 nays, to grant the resolution leave to withdraw, with Councilors Joseph D. Camara, Pam Laliberte-Lebeau, Stephen R. Long, and Cliff Ponte voting in the negative.”
Nov 28Committee on Public Works and Transportation convene to discuss…Motion: to tablePassed 8–0 · Abstained: Joseph D. Camara
November 28, 2017 · Item 7: Committee on Public Works and Transportation convene to discuss plans for an alternate access road in the area of the Alfred J. Lima Quequechan River Rail Trail
To table
Yes: Cabeceiras, Cadime, Laliberte, Long, Mitchell, Pereira, Ponte, Steven A. CamaraAbstained: Joseph D. Camara
From the minutes
“The motion to table carried with Councilor Joseph D. Camara abstaining.” The minutes name who voted no but give no count; the count shown is from those names.
Nov 28City Council appoint committee to ensure all aspects of…Motion: to grant the resolution leave to withdrawPassed 8–1 · No: Mitchell
November 28, 2017 · Item 8: Mayor and City Council appoint committee to ensure all aspects of new Charter are followed
To grant the resolution leave to withdraw
Yes: Cabeceiras, Cadime, Joseph D. Camara, Laliberte, Long, Pereira, Ponte, Steven A. CamaraNo: Mitchell
From the minutes
“On a further motion made by Councilor Steven A. Camara and seconded by Councilor Joseph D. Camara, it was voted 8 yeas, 1 nay to grant the resolution leave to withdraw, with Councilor Raymond A. Mitchell voting in the negative.” (Motion: Steven A. Camara, second: Joseph D. Camara)
Committees
Much of the council’s work starts in committee. Each committee’s members, meetings and the recommendations it sent to the full council.
From the official minutes kept by the Fall River City Clerk (agendas and minutes). The minutes are scanned documents; we read them with text recognition, check every vote count against the councilors named, and quote the exact sentence for each vote. MassVoter never grades officials; votes and attendance are shown exactly as the minutes record them. Councilor photos: the nine 2026–2027 councilors from the City of Fall River's official councilor photos (Contact the Council page, fallriverma.gov); earlier councilors cropped from the 2024–2025 council group photo and the 2022–2023 council group photo (as published by Fall River Reporter, September 2022). Trott Lee: from his campaign Facebook page (facebook.com/trottlee4cc). Ricky Tith: from Fall River Reporter (April 2025). 2018–2019 councilors (Steven A. Camara, Stephen R. Long, Derek R. Viveiros) and the 2018–2019 group photo: from the City of Fall River’s FY2019 budget book. Richard Cabeceiras, Raymond A. Mitchell and the 2016–2017 group photo: Herald News photo by Jack Foley (January 2016), provided by the Fall River City Clerk. The 2020–2021 and 2022–2023 group photos: provided by the Fall River City Clerk.
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