Medford City Council

Loaded: every full Medford City Council meeting with posted records (the council’s official minutes) from January 2, 2018 through August 4, 2026: 281 meetings (regular meetings and special meetings) and 5,311 votes. Committee of the Whole and other council committee meetings are not loaded; committee reports printed inside the council records are not counted as council votes, and neither are earlier votes the records reprint with a paper. The city’s Municode library has council records back to 2003; MassVoter has loaded 2018 on. Not here: regular meetings with no posted records (June 19, September 18 and October 16, 2018; March 10, 2020; March 8, 2022), two 2020 records the library lists but will not open (February 25 and April 28, 2020), special and joint meetings in 2026 with an agenda but no posted minutes (January 21, March 31, April 8, April 14, May 13, May 27, June 3, June 11 and June 24, 2026), and meetings after August 4, 2026 (the September 15 and September 29, 2026 minutes are not posted yet); MassVoter is asking the City Clerk. Two 2018 records were posted with fonts that do not copy as text, and eight records from 2019–2021 were posted as scans (some sideways); MassVoter recovered the text and read them. Medford’s records state most votes as a count, naming any councilor who voted no or was absent (“approved on a roll call vote of six in favor and one opposed (Councilor Scarpelli)”), and the roll call at the top lists who was present. When the count adds up with the roll call, we show each councilor’s vote: those named as voting no or abstaining as recorded, those named as absent left out, and the other councilors present voting yes. When the records name the councilors on one side and give only a number for the other, and the numbers add up, the other councilors present are shown on the other side, with a note. Councilors the records say were out of the room, arrived late or left early are left out of the votes taken while they were out, with a note. When a count does not add up with the roll call, we show the count only, with a note (7 votes). Many votes, mostly before 2021, were recorded only as “passed” or “approved” with no count; those 2,352 votes show the result only and are never assumed unanimous. The records usually say who made and seconded each motion; we show both. Elections of the Council President and Vice President are shown as votes for the person elected. The records spelled the title “Councillor” until 2025 and “Councilor” since. We will ask the city to confirm any noted vote.