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New Bedford City Council
How the New Bedford City Council voted, from the City Clerk's official minutes. 11 councilors: 5 at-large and 6 ward councilors. Elected November 2019; sworn in January 6, 2020. Council President: Joseph P. Lopes (2020 and 2021). From April 2020 to June 2021 the council met remotely and took every vote by roll call. Covers 50 meetings, January 6 to December 16, 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 New Bedford ballot: 15 quizzes, about a minute each.
Start my ballot →Council sessions
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MassVoter can’t read New Bedford’s meeting calendar automatically yet. See upcoming meetings on the official site →
Councilors
PresidentJoseph P. LopesCouncil President (2020 and 2021) · Ward 5 · at 48 of 50 meetings
1st Vice PresidentLinda M. MoradFirst Vice President (2020) · At-large · at 48 of 50 meetings
2nd Vice PresidentBrian K. GomesSecond Vice President (2020) · At-large · at 46 of 50 meetings
Ian AbreuCity Councilor · At-large · at 49 of 50 meetings
Derek BaptisteCity Councilor · Ward 4 · at 46 of 50 meetings
Naomi R. A. CarneyCity Councilor · At-large · at 50 of 50 meetingsDebora CoelhoCity Councilor · At-large · at 41 of 50 meetingsHugh DunnCity Councilor · Ward 3 · at 46 of 50 meetings
Maria E. GiestaCity Councilor · Ward 2 · at 48 of 50 meetingsScott J. LimaCity Councilor · Ward 5 · at 49 of 50 meetingsWilliam “Brad” MarkeyCity Councilor · Ward 1 · at 50 of 50 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 February 26, August 25, September 15 and September 24, 2026 meetings, the May 15, 2024 special meeting, or the November 18, 2025 tax classification meeting. For 2022–2023, committee meetings listed on the city calendar without minutes (for example Ordinances on March 16 and December 13, 2022, Finance on December 15, 2022, and Airport on December 14, 2022 and April 20, 2023) are not included. Informal council gatherings and celebration meetings, where no business is voted, are left out. They will be added when posted. On October 7 and 8, 2026 the City Clerk posted corrected minutes for the February 12, March 5, March 12, April 9, April 23, June 11 and June 22, 2026 council meetings, and the February 17, 2026 Appointments and Briefings minutes; those meetings now follow the corrected minutes. A few other minutes have possible errors (noted on those meetings and votes); we have asked the City Clerk to confirm them and will update the record if they are corrected.
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 16Ordered, that to balance the budget for the fiscal…Motion: Adopted and Rule 40 WaivedPassed 9–1 · see note
December 16, 2021 (Special meeting): Ordered, that to balance the budget for the fiscal year beginning July 1, 2021 and ending June 30, 2022 the sum of Two Million Dollars ($2,000,000) now standing to the…
Adopted and Rule 40 Waived
The minutes record 9–1, more votes than the 9 councilors listed as present; this looks like a typo. Individual votes are not shown until it is confirmed. We will ask the City Clerk to confirm.
From the minutes
“Adopted and Rule 40 Waived – Yeas 9, Nays 1. (Councillor Morad OPPOSED.) (Matter #1845).”
Dec 16Ordered, That the Minimum Residential Factor of 0.8116 for…Motion: AdoptedFailed 6–4 · No: Giesta, Lopes, Markey, Morad
December 16, 2021 (Special meeting): Ordered, That the Minimum Residential Factor of 0.8116 for Local Assessment Be and the Same Is Hereby Adopted Fiscal Year 2022. (Shift of 1.75%.) Hearing Continued until December 16, 2021…
Adopted
Yes: Abreu, Baptiste, Carney, Dunn, Gomes, LimaNo: Giesta, Lopes, Markey, MoradAbsent: Coelho
From the minutes
“Adopted – Yeas 6 Nays 4 (Councillors Giesta, Lopes, Markey and Morad OPPOSED.) Waiving Rule 40 – FAILED – Yeas 7, Nays 3. (Councillors Lopes, Markey and Morad OPPOSED.) (Matter #1850).”
Dec 9Communication, Mayor Mitchell, to City Council, requesting reconsideration of…Motion: Motion was made to amend to Step 2. Salary $103,174.00 FAILEDFailed 4–5 · No: Baptiste, Carney, Giesta, Gomes, Morad
December 9, 2021: Communication, Mayor Mitchell, to City Council, requesting reconsideration of the starting salary Robert Dickinson as City Auditor at a Salary Step 4 ($108,926) on the Unit C Salary schedule which…
Motion was made to amend to Step 2. Salary $103,174.00 FAILED
Yes: Dunn, Lima, Lopes, MarkeyNo: Baptiste, Carney, Giesta, Gomes, MoradAbsent: Abreu, Coelho
From the minutes
“Motion was made to amend to Step 2. Salary $103,174.00 FAILED – Yeas 4, Nays 5. (Councillors Dunn, Lima, Lopes and Markey IN FAVOR.) (Matter #1737).”
Dec 9Communication, Mayor Mitchell, to City Council, requesting reconsideration of…Motion: Motion was made to amend to Step 1, Salary $100, 169,00…Passed 8–1 · No: Markey
December 9, 2021: Communication, Mayor Mitchell, to City Council, requesting reconsideration of the starting salary Robert Dickinson as City Auditor at a Salary Step 4 ($108,926) on the Unit C Salary schedule which…
Motion was made to amend to Step 1, Salary $100, 169,00 APPROVED
Yes: Baptiste, Carney, Dunn, Giesta, Gomes, Lima, Lopes, MoradNo: MarkeyAbsent: Abreu, Coelho
From the minutes
“Motion was made to amend to Step 1, Salary $100, 169,00 APPROVED – Yeas 8, Nays 1. (Councillor Markey OPPOSED.) (Matter #1737).”
Nov 23Report, Committee on Finance, recommending to the City Council…Motion: Removed from the Table and Recommendation FollowedPassed 8–3 · No: Carney, Gomes, Morad
November 23, 2021: Report, Committee on Finance, recommending to the City Council Adoption of the Loan Order, appropriating $71,800,000.00 to finance the costs of Capital Planning and construction of water distribution and treatment…
Removed from the Table and Recommendation Followed
Yes: Abreu, Baptiste, Coelho, Dunn, Giesta, Lima, Lopes, MarkeyNo: Carney, Gomes, Morad
From the minutes
“Removed from the Table and Recommendation Followed – Yeas 8, Nays 3. (Councillors Carney, Gomes and Morad OPPOSED.) (Matter #1398).”
Nov 23A Bond Order to Authorize A Borrowing to Pay…Motion: Removed from the Table and AdoptedPassed 8–3 · No: Carney, Gomes, Morad
November 23, 2021: A Bond Order to Authorize A Borrowing to Pay the Costs of Capital Planning and Construction of Water Distribution and Treatment Systems Improvements Including Quittacas Water Treatment Plant Upgrades, A…
Removed from the Table and Adopted
Yes: Abreu, Baptiste, Coelho, Dunn, Giesta, Lima, Lopes, MarkeyNo: Carney, Gomes, Morad
From the minutes
“Removed from the Table and Adopted – Yeas 8, Nays 3. (Councillors Carney, Gomes and Morad OPPOSED.) (Matter #0874).”
Nov 23A Bond Order to Authorize A Borrowing to Pay…Motion: Removed from the Table and AdoptedPassed 8–3 · No: Carney, Gomes, Morad
November 23, 2021: A Bond Order to Authorize A Borrowing to Pay the Costs of Projects Outlined in the City’s Long Term Cso Control and Integrated Capital Improvements Plan Including Capital Planning, Wastewater…
Removed from the Table and Adopted
Yes: Abreu, Baptiste, Coelho, Dunn, Giesta, Lima, Lopes, MarkeyNo: Carney, Gomes, Morad
From the minutes
“Removed from the Table and Adopted – Yeas 8, Nays 3. (Councillors Carney, Gomes and Morad OPPOSED.) (Matter #1071).”
Oct 14Written Motion, requesting, that the City Council authorize the…Motion: Adopted and Referred to the AdministrationPassed 8–2 · No: Giesta, Morad
October 14, 2021: Written Motion, requesting, that the City Council authorize the Mayor to execute such documents, including but not limited to mortgages and covenants in a form substantially similar to those attached…
Adopted and Referred to the Administration
Yes: Abreu, Carney, Coelho, Dunn, Gomes, Lima, Lopes, MarkeyNo: Giesta, MoradAbsent: Baptiste
From the minutes
“Adopted and Referred to the Administration – Yeas 8, Nays 2. (Councillors Giesta and Morad OPPOSED.) (Matter #1112).”
Oct 14Communication, Mayor Mitchell, to City Council, submitting the Appointment…Motion: Referred to the Committee on Appointments and BriefingsReferred 11–0 · see note
October 14, 2021: Communication, Mayor Mitchell, to City Council, submitting the Appointment of Kimberli Bettencourt, New Bedford, MA, to the Greater New Bedford Regional Vocational Technical High School District Committee; this term will…
Referred to the Committee on Appointments and Briefings
The minutes record 11–0, more votes than the 10 councilors listed as present; this looks like a typo. Individual votes are not shown until it is confirmed. We will ask the City Clerk to confirm.
From the minutes
“Referred to the Committee on Appointments and Briefings Yeas 11, Nays 0. (Matter #0685).”
Oct 14Loan Order, Appropriating, $57,000,000,00 to finance the costs of…Motion: Motion to Table by Councillor Morad FAILSPassed 4–6 · No: Abreu, Coelho, Dunn, Lima, Lopes, Markey
October 14, 2021: Loan Order, Appropriating, $57,000,000,00 to finance the costs of the projects outlined in the City’s Long Term Cso Control and Integrated Capital Improvement Plan, including capital planning, wastewater treatment plant…
Motion to Table by Councillor Morad FAILS
Yes: Carney, Giesta, Gomes, MoradNo: Abreu, Coelho, Dunn, Lima, Lopes, MarkeyAbsent: Baptiste
From the minutes
“Motion to Table by Councillor Morad FAILS – Yeas 4, Nays 6 (Councillors Abreu, Coelho, Dunn, Lima Council President Lopes and Councillor Markey OPPOSED.) (Matter #1071).”
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 New Bedford City Clerk (agendas and minutes). The minutes are text documents; we read every action, check every roll-call count against the councilors named, and quote the exact wording. Most items pass by voice vote, and the minutes record only the result for those; how each councilor voted is shown only for roll calls. MassVoter never grades officials; votes and attendance are shown exactly as the minutes record them. Councilor photos: cropped from the City of New Bedford's official 2026 City Council photo (newbedford-ma.gov). The 2024–2025 group photo, and the photos of Maria E. Giesta and Linda M. Morad cropped from it: City of New Bedford, provided by the City Clerk.
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