MassVoter.com← NewtonMunicipal votes · 2018–2019 Council
Newton City Council
How the Newton City Council voted, from the City Clerk's official minutes. 24 councilors: 8 ward councilors and 16 councilors at large (two from each ward, elected citywide), elected every two years. Elected November 7, 2017. Twenty-four councilors: 8 ward councilors, each elected by the voters of one ward, and 16 councilors at large, two from each ward, elected citywide. (The same day, voters rejected a proposed new charter that would have cut the council to 12 members, so the council kept 24.) Inaugurated Monday, January 1, 2018, when the council elected Marc C. Laredo President and David A. Kalis Vice President (with R. Lisle Baker as President Emeritus), approving the inaugural items together, 22 to 0 with two absent. Covers 49 meetings, January 1 to December 16, 2019.
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)Council sessions
Coming up
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Councilors
Vice PresidentDavid A. KalisVice President · Councilor at Large, Ward 8 · at 41 of 49 meetings
Susan AlbrightCouncilor · Councilor at Large, Ward 2 · at 49 of 49 meetingsJake AuchinclossCouncilor · Councilor at Large, Ward 2 (2018-2020) · at 45 of 49 meetings
Lisle BakerCouncilor · Ward 7 Councilor · at 44 of 49 meetingsBarbara Brousal-GlaserCouncilor · Ward 3 Councilor (2018-2019) · at 45 of 49 meetingsAllan L. CicconeCouncilor · Councilor at Large, Ward 1 (2018-2020) · at 38 of 49 meetingsJames R. CoteCouncilor · Councilor at Large, Ward 3 (2018-2019) · at 45 of 49 meetingsDeborah J. CrossleyCouncilor · Councilor at Large, Ward 5 (2018-2023) · at 49 of 49 meetingsVictoria L. DanbergCouncilor · Councilor at Large, Ward 6 (2018-2025) · at 44 of 49 meetingsAndreae DownsCouncilor · Councilor at Large, Ward 5 (2018-2025) · at 46 of 49 meetingsLeonard J. GentileCouncilor · Councilor at Large, Ward 4 (2018-2025) · at 39 of 49 meetings
Maria Scibelli GreenbergCouncilor · Ward 1 Councilor · at 49 of 49 meetings
Rebecca Walker GrossmanCouncilor · Councilor at Large, Ward 7 · at 45 of 49 meetings
Andrea W. KelleyCouncilor · Councilor at Large, Ward 3 · at 47 of 49 meetings
Joshua KrintzmanCouncilor · Councilor at Large, Ward 4 · at 48 of 49 meetingsCheryl Lipof LappinCouncilor · Ward 8 Councilor (2018-2019) · at 45 of 49 meetings
Alison M. LearyCouncilor · Councilor at Large, Ward 1 · at 49 of 49 meetingsRichard A. LipofCouncilor · Councilor at Large, Ward 8 (2018-2025) · at 43 of 49 meetingsChristopher J. MarkiewiczCouncilor · Ward 4 Councilor (2018-2023) · at 46 of 49 meetingsBrenda NoelCouncilor · Ward 6 Councilor (2018-2023) · at 46 of 49 meetingsEmily NortonCouncilor · Ward 2 Councilor (2018-2023) · at 42 of 49 meetingsJohn B. RiceCouncilor · Ward 5 Councilor (2018-2019) · at 44 of 49 meetingsGreg SchwartzCouncilor · Councilor at Large, Ward 6 (2018-2019) · at 45 of 49 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
Newton does not post narrative minutes. The official record of each council meeting is the “City Council Actions,” which lists each docket item, what the council did and the vote count, naming the councilors who voted no, abstained, recused or were absent. Loaded: every full City Council meeting with Actions posted, from January 1, 2018 through September 22, 2026 (166 meetings: 155 regular and 11 special, including the 2018 and 2020 inaugurations and budget sessions) and 949 votes. The council has twenty-four members: eight ward councilors, each elected by one ward, and sixteen councilors at large, two from each ward, elected citywide, all for two-year terms; at each inauguration it elects a President and a Vice President. When the council approves a list of items “without discussion,” the Actions record one vote for the whole list, so MassVoter shows one vote that names the items. Committee votes are not loaded: the Reports Docket (committee reports, such as “Zoning & Planning Approved 7-0-1”) and Committee of the Whole meetings hold committee recommendations, and the council acts on them at its own meetings. Later Actions sometimes repeat an item’s earlier votes as history; MassVoter shows each vote once, at the meeting where it was taken. Not here, because no Actions are posted for them: April 21 through November 16, 2020 (the first months of remote meetings); most meetings from May through October 2021; the January 1 inaugurations of 2022, 2024 and 2026; March 21, 2022 (the file posted as its Actions is the Reports Docket); December 5 and 19, 2022; September 5, November 6, November 20 and November 29, 2023; March 18, April 16 and May 6, 2024; June 2 and 16, 2025; and a few special meetings in 2018-2020. Meetings after September 22, 2026 are not posted yet. When a count names the councilors who voted no and who were absent, every other councilor present is shown voting yes, by name; when the Actions say a vote was unanimous, every councilor present is shown voting yes. When the names do not fit the count, MassVoter shows the count only, with a note quoting it (30 votes). A voice vote with no count shows the result only, and MassVoter never assumes it was unanimous (160 votes). Zoning changes, special permits and borrowing need a two-thirds vote, so some motions with more yes than no votes failed; each has a note. 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 16#317-19 Approve: Petition to allow attached dwelling units at…Motion: Approved 22 Yeas, 1 Nay (Councilors Brousal-Glaser), 1 Absent (Councilor Ciccone)Passed 22–1 · No: Brousal-Glaser
December 16, 2019: #317-19 Approve: Petition to allow attached dwelling units at 67 Walnut Street 60 WOODBINE STREET LLC petition for SPECIAL PERMIT/SITE PLAN...
Approved 22 Yeas, 1 Nay (Councilors Brousal-Glaser), 1 Absent (Councilor Ciccone)
Yes: Albright, Auchincloss, Baker, Cote, Crossley, Danberg, Downs, Gentile, Greenberg, Grossman, Kalis, Kelley, Krintzman, Lappin, Laredo, Leary, Lipof, Markiewicz, Noel, Norton, Rice, SchwartzNo: Brousal-Glaser
From the minutes
“Approved 22 Yeas, 1 Nay (Councilors Brousal-Glaser), 1 Absent (Councilor Ciccone).”
Dec 16#391-19 Approve: Authorization to revise White Goods and Bulky…Motion: Approved 20 Yeas, 3 Nays (Councilors Baker, Cote and Krintzman), 1…Passed 20–3 · No: Baker, Cote, Krintzman
December 16, 2019: #391-19 Approve: Authorization to revise White Goods and Bulky Items City Ordinances
Approved 20 Yeas, 3 Nays (Councilors Baker, Cote and Krintzman), 1 Absent (Councilor Ciccone)
Yes: Albright, Auchincloss, Brousal-Glaser, Crossley, Danberg, Downs, Gentile, Greenberg, Grossman, Kalis, Kelley, Lappin, Laredo, Leary, Lipof, Markiewicz, Noel, Norton, Rice, SchwartzNo: Baker, Cote, Krintzman
From the minutes
“Approved 20 Yeas, 3 Nays (Councilors Baker, Cote and Krintzman), 1 Absent (Councilor Ciccone).”
Dec 16#165-19 Change 6 stories to 5 stories where it…Motion: Motion to change 6 stories to 5 stories where it appears…Failed 11–12 · No: Albright, Crossley, Danberg, Downs, Greenberg, Grossman, Kelley, Lappin, Leary, Lipof, Noel, Rice
December 16, 2019: #165-19 Change 6 stories to 5 stories where it appears in the plan: Adoption of Washington Street Vision Plan as part of the Comprehensive Plan
Motion to change 6 stories to 5 stories where it appears in the plan Failed to Carry 12 Nays, 11 Yeas (Councilors Auchincloss, Baker, Brousal-Glaser, Cote, Gentile, Kalis, Krintzman, Markiewicz, Norton, Schwartz and Laredo), 1 Absent (Councilor Ciccone)
Yes: Auchincloss, Baker, Brousal-Glaser, Cote, Gentile, Kalis, Krintzman, Laredo, Markiewicz, Norton, SchwartzNo: Albright, Crossley, Danberg, Downs, Greenberg, Grossman, Kelley, Lappin, Leary, Lipof, Noel, Rice
From the minutes
“Motion to change 6 stories to 5 stories where it appears in the plan Failed to Carry 12 Nays, 11 Yeas (Councilors Auchincloss, Baker, Brousal-Glaser, Cote, Gentile, Kalis, Krintzman, Markiewicz, Norton, Schwartz and Laredo), 1 Absent (Councilor Ciccone).”
Dec 16#165-19 Approve: Adoption of Washington Street Vision Plan as…Motion: Approved 17 Yeas, 6 Nays (Councilors Brousal-Glaser, Gentile, Markiewicz, Norton, Schwartz…Passed 17–6 · No: Brousal-Glaser, Gentile, Laredo, Markiewicz, Norton, Schwartz
December 16, 2019: #165-19 Approve: Adoption of Washington Street Vision Plan as part of the Comprehensive Plan
Approved 17 Yeas, 6 Nays (Councilors Brousal-Glaser, Gentile, Markiewicz, Norton, Schwartz and Laredo), 1 Absent (Councilor Ciccone)
Yes: Albright, Auchincloss, Baker, Cote, Crossley, Danberg, Downs, Greenberg, Grossman, Kalis, Kelley, Krintzman, Lappin, Leary, Lipof, Noel, RiceNo: Brousal-Glaser, Gentile, Laredo, Markiewicz, Norton, Schwartz
From the minutes
“Approved 17 Yeas, 6 Nays (Councilors Brousal-Glaser, Gentile, Markiewicz, Norton, Schwartz and Laredo), 1 Absent (Councilor Ciccone).”
Dec 16Accept the committee recommendations on 50 items without discussion…Motion: The City Council voted without discussion 23 Yeas, 1 Absent (Councilor…Passed Unanimous, 23 present · see note
December 16, 2019: Accept the committee recommendations on 50 items without discussion (#393-19, #227-17(2), #257-19, #312-19, #353-19, #175-19, ...)
The City Council voted without discussion 23 Yeas, 1 Absent (Councilor Ciccone) to Accept the Committee Recommendations on the following
One vote on the block of items the council took up without discussion. The items: #393-19 Petition to amend Board Order #317-92(5) and change use at 562...; #227-17(2) Special Permit to amend Order #227-17 at 2171 Commonwealth Avenue; #257-19 Amended Petition to allow attached dwelling units at 956 Walnut...; #312-19 Petition to allow 24-unit multi-family dwelling at 20 Kinmonth...; #353-19 Petition to extend nonconforming FAR at 38 Fenno Road; #175-19 Special Permit to allow attached dwelling units at 145 Warren...; #175-19(2) Amended Petition to allow attached dwelling units at 145 Warren...; #320-19 Petition to allow four attached dwelling units at 70 Walker Street...; #140-19 Request to Rezone 4.5 acres to MU3 MD 399 GROVE OWNER, LLC/RAMIREZ...; #140-19(2) Special Permit to allow Mixed Use Development at Riverside Station...; #88-19 Petition to allow a rear-lot subdivision at 41 Washington Street; #265-19 Petition to allow multi-family dwelling unit at 12-14 Middle Street; #354-19 Special Permit to allow multi-family dwelling at 13-17 Gardner Street; #422-19 Class 1 Auto Dealer License; #423-19 Class 1 Auto Dealer License; #424-19 Class 2 Auto Dealer License; #425-19 Class 2 Auto Dealers License; #426-19 Class 2 Auto Dealers License; #427-19 Class 2 Auto Dealers License; #428-19 Class 2 Auto Dealers License; #429-19 Class 2 Auto Dealers License; #430-19 Class 2 Auto Dealers License; #431-19 Class 2 Auto Dealers License; #432-19 Class 2 Auto Dealers License; #433-19 Class 2 Auto Dealers License; #434-19 Class 2 Auto Dealers License; #437-19 Appointment of Amanda Stauffer Park to the Newton Historical...; #363-19 Amendment(s) to Chapter 30 relative to building efficiencies; #401-19 Appointment of Marguerite Connolly to the Parks and Recreation...; #400-19 Appointment of Mark Feldhusen to the Parks and Recreation Commission; #402-19 Requesting renewal of bus license for Lasell University; #403-19 Requesting new public auto license Michael Gimmelfarb, 274 Dedham...; #404-19 Requesting new public auto license; #405-19 Requesting renewal of public auto license; #406-19 Requesting renewal of public auto license; #407-19 Requesting renewals of taxi licenses; #408-19 Requesting renewals of taxi licenses; #409-19 Requesting renewals of taxi licenses; #410-19 Requesting renewals of taxi licenses; #439-19 Verizon petition for a Grant of Location on Clark Street; #440-19 Comcast petition for a Grant of Location on Langley Road; #443-19 Appropriate $300,000 for the site remediation at 687 Watertown Street; #444-19 Appropriate of $129,250 from the State’s Transportation...; #445-19 Appropriate $500,000 for removing and disposing of sediment; #446-19 Appropriate $1,500,000 for the purchase of individual parking...; #447-19 Appropriate $5,750,000 for the Walnut St. and Austin St...; #441-19 Accept a grant from Massachusetts Emergency Management Agency; #386-19 Request to appropriate $50,000 in CPC funds for Pigeon Hill Trail...; #442-19 Transfer funds for an agreement with the Teamsters Union; #419-19 Appropriate $200,000 for the Comm Ave Carriageway Greening....
From the minutes
“The City Council voted without discussion 23 Yeas, 1 Absent (Councilor Ciccone) to Accept the Committee Recommendations on the following.”
Dec 16#268-19 Accept the committee recommendation: Petition to allow adult-use…Motion: The City Council voted without discussion 22 Yeas, 1 Recused (Councilor…Passed 22–0 · see note
December 16, 2019: #268-19 Accept the committee recommendation: Petition to allow adult-use marijuana dispensary at 58 Cross St/1089 Washington St
The City Council voted without discussion 22 Yeas, 1 Recused (Councilor Laredo), 1 Absent (Councilor Ciccone) to Accept the Committee Recommendations on the following items:
Yes: Albright, Auchincloss, Baker, Brousal-Glaser, Cote, Crossley, Danberg, Downs, Gentile, Greenberg, Grossman, Kalis, Kelley, Krintzman, Lappin, Leary, Lipof, Markiewicz, Noel, Norton, Rice, SchwartzMarc C. Laredo recused and is left out of this vote.
From the minutes
“The City Council voted without discussion 22 Yeas, 1 Recused (Councilor Laredo), 1 Absent (Councilor Ciccone) to Accept the Committee Recommendations on the following items:.”
Dec 16#318-19 Accept the committee recommendation: Request to Rezone 15-21…Motion: The City Council voted without discussion 22 Yeas, 1 Recused (Councilor…Passed 22–0 · see note
December 16, 2019: #318-19 Accept the committee recommendation: Request to Rezone 15-21 Lexington Street to Multi Residence 3
The City Council voted without discussion 22 Yeas, 1 Recused (Councilor Lipof), 1 Absent (Councilor Ciccone) to Accept the Committee Recommendations on the following items:
Yes: Albright, Auchincloss, Baker, Brousal-Glaser, Cote, Crossley, Danberg, Downs, Gentile, Greenberg, Grossman, Kalis, Kelley, Krintzman, Lappin, Laredo, Leary, Markiewicz, Noel, Norton, Rice, SchwartzRichard A. Lipof recused and is left out of this vote.
From the minutes
“The City Council voted without discussion 22 Yeas, 1 Recused (Councilor Lipof), 1 Absent (Councilor Ciccone) to Accept the Committee Recommendations on the following items:.”
Dec 16#319-19 Accept the committee recommendation: Petition to allow 24-unit…Motion: The City Council voted without discussion 21 Yeas, 1 Nay (Councilor…Passed 21–1 · No: Auchincloss
December 16, 2019: #319-19 Accept the committee recommendation: Petition to allow 24-unit multi-family dwelling at 15-21 Lexington Street
The City Council voted without discussion 21 Yeas, 1 Nay (Councilor Auchincloss), 1 Recused (Councilor Lipof), 1 Absent (Councilor Ciccone) to Accept the Committee Recommendations on the following items:
Yes: Albright, Baker, Brousal-Glaser, Cote, Crossley, Danberg, Downs, Gentile, Greenberg, Grossman, Kalis, Kelley, Krintzman, Lappin, Laredo, Leary, Markiewicz, Noel, Norton, Rice, SchwartzNo: AuchinclossRichard A. Lipof recused and is left out of this vote.
From the minutes
“The City Council voted without discussion 21 Yeas, 1 Nay (Councilor Auchincloss), 1 Recused (Councilor Lipof), 1 Absent (Councilor Ciccone) to Accept the Committee Recommendations on the following items:.”
Dec 2#379-19(3) Amend to add the following Resolution: CPC Recommendation…Motion: Motion to amend to add the following Resolution was Approved by…Passed · see note
December 2, 2019: #379-19(3) Amend to add the following Resolution: CPC Recommendation to appropriate $725,000 for Legal Fees for Webster Woods
Motion to amend to add the following Resolution was Approved by Voice Vote:
The Actions record this as a voice vote with no count, so MassVoter shows the result only.
From the minutes
“Motion to amend to add the following Resolution was Approved by Voice Vote:.”
Dec 2#425-18 Approve: Request to Rezone three parcels for Northland…Motion: Approved 17 Yeas, 7 Nays (Councilors Baker, Ciccone, Gentile, Kalis, Markiewicz,…Passed 17–7 · No: Baker, Ciccone, Gentile, Kalis, Markiewicz, Norton, Schwartz
December 2, 2019: #425-18 Approve: Request to Rezone three parcels for Northland Development
Approved 17 Yeas, 7 Nays (Councilors Baker, Ciccone, Gentile, Kalis, Markiewicz, Norton, Schwartz)
Yes: Albright, Auchincloss, Brousal-Glaser, Cote, Crossley, Danberg, Downs, Greenberg, Grossman, Kelley, Krintzman, Lappin, Laredo, Leary, Lipof, Noel, RiceNo: Baker, Ciccone, Gentile, Kalis, Markiewicz, Norton, Schwartz
From the minutes
“Approved 17 Yeas, 7 Nays (Councilors Baker, Ciccone, Gentile, Kalis, Markiewicz, Norton, Schwartz).”
From the Newton City Council’s official record of each meeting, the “City Council Actions,” posted by the City Clerk on the city’s Council Meetings page (older years on its archives page). We check every vote against the councilors present and quote the exact wording. MassVoter never grades or scores officials. Councilor photos: City of Newton (newtonma.gov), from each councilor’s official page. John Oliver, Rena Getz and Brian Golden: Fig City News. Cyrus Dahmubed, Brittany Hume Charm, Sean Roche, Lisa Gordon and Jacob Silber: League of Women Voters of Newton 2025 candidate guide. Julie Irish: her campaign website. Former councilors show initials.
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