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Lowell City Council
How the Lowell City Council voted, from the City Clerk's official minutes. 11 councilors: one from each of the city’s 8 districts and 3 elected at large; the council chooses one of its members as Mayor. Elected November 5, 2019; inaugurated January 6, 2020. Nine councilors, all elected at large (the last council elected that way). The council chose John J. Leahy as Mayor (7 to 2 on the first ballot; the other two then recast their votes for him) and Rita Mercier as Vice Chair (9 to 0). Sokhary Chau, John Drinkwater and Daniel P. Rourke joined the council. Many 2020-2021 meetings were held by Zoom or in hybrid form. No seat changed hands during the term. Covers 70 meetings, January 6 to December 27, 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 council hires the city manager, who runs the city day to day and proposes the budget.
Sources: Mass. General Laws c. 44 § 32 (city budgets)Council sessions
Coming up
- Tue, Oct 13PDF →
- Mon, Oct 19COA Board Agenda for 10/19/26 →
From the agendas Lowell posts on its official site. Agendas can change; the posted agenda is the official one.
Councilors
Vice-ChairRita MercierVice Chair · At-large · at 70 of 70 meetings
Sokhary ChauCouncilor · District 6 (from 2022); at-large (2020-2021) · at 68 of 70 meetingsDavid ConwayCouncilor · At-large (2018-2021) · at 66 of 70 meetingsJohn DrinkwaterCouncilor · At-large (2020-2023) · at 70 of 70 meetingsRodney M. ElliottCouncilor · At-large (2018-2021) · at 69 of 70 meetings
Vesna NuonCouncilor · At-large · at 65 of 70 meetings
Daniel P. RourkeCouncilor · District 1 (from 2022); at-large (2020-2021) · at 68 of 70 meetingsWilliam SamarasCouncilor · At-large (2018-2021) · at 70 of 70 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
Loaded: every full City Council meeting with minutes in the city’s Agenda Center from January 2, 2018 through August 25, 2026 (348 meetings: 313 regular, 32 special, including the five inaugurations and the short open sessions held to go into executive session, and 3 joint meetings with the School Committee, where only councilors’ votes are shown) and 10,605 votes. Lowell has a Plan E charter: a City Manager runs the city, and the Mayor is a councilor chosen by the council at each inauguration; the Mayor chairs the council (and the School Committee) and votes. Through 2021 all nine councilors were elected at large. Since January 2022, after the settlement of the Huot v. City of Lowell voting-rights case, the council has eleven members: one from each of eight districts and three elected at large. Council subcommittee meetings and executive-session minutes are not loaded, and subcommittee votes reported in the council minutes are not shown as council votes. The city posted one set of minutes for each of three meetings that continued on a later night (April 25 and May 2, 2023; July 25 and August 8, 2023; and March 21 and 25, 2023), so each pair is listed as one meeting; the May 26 and June 2, 2026 budget sessions share one file but are written one after the other, so they are listed separately. Two sets of minutes (February 8, 2022 and June 4, 2024) were posted as scanned images; MassVoter read them with text recognition, so quoted words may keep small reading errors. Not here: open-session minutes for the executive-session meetings continued to October 22 and November 9, 2020 (agendas only), and meetings after August 25, 2026 (the September 8, September 22 and October 6, 2026 minutes are not posted yet). Lowell’s minutes record nearly every action as “Motion … by C. X, seconded by C. Y. So voted.” That is a voice vote with no count or names, so MassVoter shows the result only and never assumes it was unanimous (8,018 votes). Votes on money, appointments, ordinances and contested motions are taken by roll call. Since November 2024 the minutes name every councilor on each side (“Adopted per Roll Call vote 9 yeas (C. Chau, …), 2 nays (C. Liang, C. McDonough)”); earlier minutes give the count and name the councilors voting no, abstaining or absent (“Adopted per Roll Call vote 8 yeas, 1 absent (C. Nuon)”). MassVoter shows each councilor’s vote when the names and counts add up to the councilors present, and the count only, with a note, when they do not (11 votes). A councilor listed as absent for a roll call, or who recused, is left out of that vote. A few councilors who are missing from the attendance line but are named voting or making motions are counted present, with a note. Elections of the Mayor and Vice Chair, the choice of a councilor to fill the District 3 vacancy in 2024, and the council’s choices of a City Manager and City Auditor show the result only, with a note quoting who chose 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.
Dec 21Adopt: Wire Inspector ReportsMotion: In City Council, Motion to accept and adopt accompanying orders by…Passed · see note
December 21, 2021: Adopt: Wire Inspector Reports:
In City Council, Motion to accept and adopt accompanying orders by C. Rourke, seconded by C. Samaras. So voted
The minutes give the result only (“So voted”, a voice vote), so MassVoter does not show how each councilor voted.
From the minutes
“In City Council, Motion to accept and adopt accompanying orders by C. Rourke, seconded by C. Samaras. So voted.” (Motion: Rourke, second: Samaras)
Dec 21Motion: Request: City Council Assign Special Municipal Employee Status…Motion: In City Council, seconded by C. Mercier. Registered speaker, Michael Dillion,…Passed · see note
December 21, 2021: Motion: Request: City Council Assign Special Municipal Employee Status To The Position Of School Committee Under MGL Ch. 268A, Sect. 1(N)
In City Council, seconded by C. Mercier. Registered speaker, Michael Dillion, addressed the body. So voted.
The minutes give the result only (“So voted”, a voice vote), so MassVoter does not show how each councilor voted.
From the minutes
“In City Council, seconded by C. Mercier. Registered speaker, Michael Dillion, addressed the body. So voted..” (Motion: Rourke, second: Mercier)
Dec 21Amend motion and designate Mr. Dillion a special municipal…Motion: Motion by C. Rourke, seconded by C. Mercier to amend motion…Passed 8–1 · No: Elliott
December 21, 2021: Amend motion and designate Mr. Dillion a special municipal employee subject to a favorable Massachusetts Ethics Opinion
Motion by C. Rourke, seconded by C. Mercier to amend motion and designate Mr. Dillion a special municipal employee subject to a favorable Massachusetts Ethics Opinion. Adopted per Roll Call vote 8 yeas, 1 nay (C. Elliott). So voted.
Yes: Chau, Conway, Drinkwater, Leahy, Mercier, Nuon, Rourke, SamarasNo: ElliottThe roll call names the no votes and gives 8 yeas, which matches the other councilors present; they are shown voting yes.
From the minutes
“Motion by C. Rourke, seconded by C. Mercier to amend motion and designate Mr. Dillion a special municipal employee subject to a favorable Massachusetts Ethics Opinion. Adopted per Roll Call vote 8 yeas, 1 nay (C. Elliott). So voted..” (Motion: Rourke, second: Mercier)
Dec 7Adopt: Wire Inspector ReportsMotion: (Lord Overpass Project) In City Council, Motion to accept and adopt…Passed · see note
December 7, 2021: Adopt: Wire Inspector Reports:
(Lord Overpass Project) In City Council, Motion to accept and adopt accompanying orders by C. Mercier, seconded by C. Samaras. So voted.
The minutes give the result only (“So voted”, a voice vote), so MassVoter does not show how each councilor voted.
From the minutes
“(Lord Overpass Project) In City Council, Motion to accept and adopt accompanying orders by C. Mercier, seconded by C. Samaras. So voted..” (Motion: Mercier, second: Samaras)
Nov 23C. Mercier, seconded: Informational ReportsMotion: Motion to C. Mercier, seconded by C. Rourke to vote to…Passed · see note
November 23, 2021: C. Mercier, seconded: Informational Reports
Motion to C. Mercier, seconded by C. Rourke to vote to accept program. So voted.
The minutes give the result only (“So voted”, a voice vote), so MassVoter does not show how each councilor voted.
From the minutes
“Motion to C. Mercier, seconded by C. Rourke to vote to accept program. So voted..” (Motion: Rourke)
Nov 23Adopt: Wire Inspector ReportsMotion: In City Council, Motion to accept and adopt accompanying orders by…Passed · see note
November 23, 2021: Adopt: Wire Inspector Reports:
In City Council, Motion to accept and adopt accompanying orders by C. Nuon, seconded by C. Mercier. So voted.
The minutes give the result only (“So voted”, a voice vote), so MassVoter does not show how each councilor voted.
From the minutes
“In City Council, Motion to accept and adopt accompanying orders by C. Nuon, seconded by C. Mercier. So voted..” (Motion: Nuon, second: Mercier)
Oct 26Adopt: Wire Insp. - Cellco Partnership D/B/A Verizon Wireless…Motion: In City Council, Motion to accept and adopt accompanying order by…Passed · see note
October 26, 2021: Adopt: Wire Insp. - Cellco Partnership D/B/A Verizon Wireless Small Cell Facility On Existing Utility Pole At 7 Whitman Street
In City Council, Motion to accept and adopt accompanying order by C. Samaras, seconded by C. Chau. So voted.
The minutes give the result only (“So voted”, a voice vote), so MassVoter does not show how each councilor voted.
From the minutes
“In City Council, Motion to accept and adopt accompanying order by C. Samaras, seconded by C. Chau. So voted..” (Motion: Samaras, second: Chau)
Oct 19Refer Items #4.1(I) and #4.1(J) to Economic/Downtown Development SCMotion: J) Motion Response - Upper Floor Development – Motion by C.…Passed · see note
October 19, 2021: Refer Items #4.1(I) and #4.1(J) to Economic/Downtown Development SC
J) Motion Response - Upper Floor Development – Motion by C. Nuon, seconded by C. Elliott to refer Items #4.1(I) and #4.1(J) to Economic/Downtown Development SC. So voted.
The minutes give the result only (“So voted”, a voice vote), so MassVoter does not show how each councilor voted.
From the minutes
“J) Motion Response - Upper Floor Development – Motion by C. Nuon, seconded by C. Elliott to refer Items #4.1(I) and #4.1(J) to Economic/Downtown Development SC. So voted..” (Motion: Nuon, second: Elliott)
Oct 19Adopt: Vote- Approve Exemption Of Arthur Calavritinos MGL C.268A…Motion: Motion to adopt by C. Mercier, seconded by C. Rourke. Adopted…Passed 8–0 · see note
October 19, 2021: Adopt: Vote- Approve Exemption Of Arthur Calavritinos MGL C.268A S.20
Motion to adopt by C. Mercier, seconded by C. Rourke. Adopted per Roll Call vote 8 yeas, 1 absent (C. Chau). So voted.
Yes: Conway, Drinkwater, Elliott, Leahy, Mercier, Nuon, Rourke, SamarasThe roll call lists Sokhary Chau as absent for this vote; left out of it.
From the minutes
“Motion to adopt by C. Mercier, seconded by C. Rourke. Adopted per Roll Call vote 8 yeas, 1 absent (C. Chau). So voted..” (Motion: Mercier, second: Rourke)
Oct 19Adopt: Resolution- Urging Community Engagement And Fair Employment Standards…Motion: Motion to adopt by C. Drinkwater, seconded by C. Mercier. Adopted…Passed 8–1 · No: Conway
October 19, 2021: Adopt: Resolution- Urging Community Engagement And Fair Employment Standards For Any Expansion Of Amazon
Motion to adopt by C. Drinkwater, seconded by C. Mercier. Adopted per Roll Call vote 8 yeas, 1 nay (C. Conway). So voted.
Yes: Chau, Drinkwater, Elliott, Leahy, Mercier, Nuon, Rourke, SamarasNo: ConwayThe roll call names the no votes and gives 8 yeas, which matches the other councilors present; they are shown voting yes.
From the minutes
“Motion to adopt by C. Drinkwater, seconded by C. Mercier. Adopted per Roll Call vote 8 yeas, 1 nay (C. Conway). So voted..” (Motion: Drinkwater, second: Mercier)
From the Lowell City Council’s official minutes, posted by the City Clerk in the city’s Agenda Center (City Council). We check every vote against the councilors present and quote the exact wording. MassVoter never grades or scores officials. Photos: the City of Lowell’s official councilor headshots, from each councilor’s page in the city’s staff directory (linked from “Meet the City Council” on lowellma.gov).
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