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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 2019; sworn in January 6, 2020. Covers 46 meetings, January 6 to December 28, 2021.
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.
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Councilors
PresidentCliff A. PonteCouncil President · At-large · at 46 of 46 meetings
Vice PresidentPamela S. LaliberteCouncil Vice President · At-large · at 46 of 46 meetings
Shawn E. CadimeCity Councilor · At-large · at 46 of 46 meetings
Michelle M. DionneCity Councilor · At-large · at 46 of 46 meetings
Bradford L. KilbyCity Councilor · At-large · at 43 of 46 meetings
Trott LeeCity Councilor · At-large · at 45 of 46 meetings
Christopher M. Peckham, Sr.City Councilor · At-large · at 43 of 46 meetings
Leo O. PelletierCity Councilor · At-large · at 45 of 46 meetings
Linda M. PereiraCity Councilor · At-large · at 44 of 46 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 28KP Law, P.C invoice for professional services from July…Motion: to approve the matterPassed 8–1 · No: Pereira
December 28, 2021 · Item 21: KP Law, P.C invoice for professional services from July 1, 2021 to August 31, 2021
To approve the matter
Yes: Cadime, Dionne, Kilby, Laliberte, Lee, Peckham, Pelletier, PonteNo: Pereira
From the minutes
“On a motion made by Councilor Cadime and seconded by Councilor Peckham, it was voted 8 yeas, 1 nay to approve the matter, with Councilor Pereira voting in the negative.” (Motion: Cadime, second: Peckham)
Dec 14Proposed Ordinance — Salary AmendmentsMotion: to reject the proposed ordinancePassed 8–1 · No: Kilby
December 14, 2021 · Item 10: Proposed Ordinance — Salary Amendments
To reject the proposed ordinance
Yes: Cadime, Dionne, Laliberte, Lee, Peckham, Pelletier, Pereira, PonteNo: Kilby
From the minutes
“On a motion made by Councilor Dionne and seconded by Councilor Cadime, it was voted 8 yeas, 1 nay to reject the proposed ordinance, with Councilor Kilby voting in the negative.” (Motion: Dionne, second: Cadime)
Dec 14Proposed Ordinance — Cemetery FeesMotion: to pass the proposed ordinance through ordinationPassed 8–1 · No: Lee
December 14, 2021 · Item 12: Proposed Ordinance — Cemetery Fees
To pass the proposed ordinance through ordination
Yes: Cadime, Dionne, Kilby, Laliberte, Peckham, Pelletier, Pereira, PonteNo: Lee
From the minutes
“On a further motion made by Councilor Pereira, and seconded by Councilor Laliberte, it was voted to pass the proposed ordinance through ordination, with Councilor Lee opposed.” (Motion: Pereira, second: Laliberte) The minutes name who voted no but give no count; the count shown is from those names.
Dec 14Proposed Ordinances — Water and Sewer RatesMotion: to pass the proposed water ordinance through ordinationPassed 5–4 · No: Dionne, Laliberte, Lee, Peckham
December 14, 2021 · Item 13: Proposed Ordinances — Water and Sewer Rates
To pass the proposed water ordinance through ordination
Yes: Cadime, Kilby, Pelletier, Pereira, PonteNo: Dionne, Laliberte, Lee, Peckham
From the minutes
“On a further motion made by Councilor Pereira and seconded by Councilor Kilby, it was voted 5 yeas, 4 nays, to pass the proposed water ordinance through ordination, with Councilors Dionne, Pam Laliberte, Trott Lee and Christopher Peckham voting in the negative.” (Motion: Pereira, second: Kilby)
Dec 14Proposed Ordinances — Water and Sewer RatesMotion: to pass the proposed sewer ordinance through ordinationPassed 5–4 · No: Dionne, Laliberte, Lee, Peckham
December 14, 2021 · Item 13: Proposed Ordinances — Water and Sewer Rates
To pass the proposed sewer ordinance through ordination
Yes: Cadime, Kilby, Pelletier, Pereira, PonteNo: Dionne, Laliberte, Lee, Peckham
From the minutes
“On a further motion made by Councilor Cadime, and seconded by Councilor Kilby, it was voted 5 yeas, 4 nays, to pass the proposed sewer ordinance through ordination, with Councilors Dionne, Pam Laliberte, Trott Lee and Christopher Peckham voting in the negative.” (Motion: Cadime, second: Kilby)
Nov 30Special Act to appoint retired police officers as special…Motion: to adopt the order as amendedPassed 8–1 · No: Peckham
November 30, 2021 · Item 4: Mayor and Special Act to appoint retired police officers as special police
To adopt the order as amended
Yes: Cadime, Dionne, Kilby, Laliberte, Lee, Pelletier, Pereira, PonteNo: PeckhamThe scanned minutes read "7 nay"; the singular "nay" and the one councilor named voting no show the count is 1.
From the minutes
“On a motion made by Councilor Pereira and seconded by Councilor Cadime, it was voted 8 yeas, 7 nay to adopt the order as amended, with Councilor Peckham voting in the negative.” (Motion: Pereira, second: Cadime)
Nov 30Proposed Ordinance — Cemetery FeesMotion: to pass the proposed ordinances through first readingPassed 5–4 · No: Dionne, Laliberte, Lee, Peckham
November 30, 2021 · Item Late 6d: Proposed Ordinance — Cemetery Fees
To pass the proposed ordinances through first reading
Yes: Cadime, Kilby, Pelletier, Pereira, PonteNo: Dionne, Laliberte, Lee, Peckham
From the minutes
“On a further motion made by Councilor Cadime and seconded by Councilor Kilby, it was voted 5 yeas, 4 nays to pass the proposed ordinances through first reading, with Councilors Dionne, Pam Laliberte, Trott Lee and Christopher Peckham voting in the negative.” (Motion: Cadime, second: Kilby)
Nov 16Order appropriating $550,000 as follows: 350,000 from Sewer Retained…Motion: to adopt the orderPassed 7–1 · No: Ponte
November 16, 2021 · Item 8: Mayor and order appropriating $550,000 as follows: 350,000 from Sewer Retained Earnings to reduce sewer departmental receipts 200,000 from Water Retained Earnings to reduce sewer departmental receipts
To adopt the order
Yes: Cadime, Dionne, Kilby, Laliberte, Lee, Peckham, PelletierNo: PonteAbsent: Pereira
From the minutes
“On a motion made by Councilor Cadime and seconded by Councilor Kilby, it was voted 7 yeas, 1 nay to adopt the order, with President Ponte voting in the negative and Councilor Pereira absent and not voting.” (Motion: Cadime, second: Kilby)
Oct 26Order appropriating $1,299,433 from the General Fund Stabilization Fund…Motion: to adopt the orderFailed 3–6 · No: Cadime, Dionne, Laliberte, Peckham, Pelletier, Ponte
October 26, 2021 · Item 4: Mayor and order appropriating $1,299,433 from the General Fund Stabilization Fund to: FY21 Appropriation Deficit $ 759,721 FY21 Snow & Ice Deficit $ 539,712 1,299,433
To adopt the order
Yes: Kilby, Lee, PereiraNo: Cadime, Dionne, Laliberte, Peckham, Pelletier, Ponte
From the minutes
“On a motion made by Councilor Kilby and seconded by Councilor Pereira, it was voted 3 yeas, 6 nays to adopt the order with Councilors Kilby, Trott Lee and Linda Pereira voting in the affirmative and the motion failed to carry.” (Motion: Kilby, second: Pereira)
Oct 26Order appropriating $1,965,338 from the following funding sources: From…Motion: to adopt the orderFailed 3–6 · No: Cadime, Dionne, Laliberte, Peckham, Pelletier, Ponte
October 26, 2021 · Item 5: Mayor and order appropriating $1,965,338 from the following funding sources: From the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) For Revenue Loss ($1,694,983) For Rehire Positions $2,909,785 From Ordinary Revenue and Municipal…
To adopt the order
Yes: Kilby, Lee, PereiraNo: Cadime, Dionne, Laliberte, Peckham, Pelletier, Ponte
From the minutes
“On a motion made by Councilor Kilby and seconded by Councilor Pereira, it was voted 3 yeas, 6 nays to adopt the order with Councilors Kilby, Trott Lee and Linda Pereira voting in the affirmative and the motion failed to carry.” (Motion: Kilby, second: Pereira)
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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