MassVoter.com← Newton City CouncilNewton City Council · 2026–2027 Council · Regular meeting
January 20, 2026
2 recorded votes, 1 with disagreement.
Sources: Official minutes (PDF) · City meeting page
A monthly email on what it voted on, starting in November.
Attendance
Present: Alison M. Leary, John Oliver, Maria Scibelli Greenberg, Susan Albright, Tarik J. Lucas, David Micley, Andrea W. Kelley, Pamela Wright, Julia Malakie, Joshua Krintzman, Cyrus Dahmubed, Randy Block, Rena Getz, Brittany Hume Charm, Julie Irish, Lisa Gordon, Sean Roche, Martha Bixby, Rebecca Walker Grossman, Brian Golden, Lisle Baker, David A. Kalis, Jacob Silber, Stephen Farrell
Absent: None
Every vote, in order
Referred to Finance Committee
#24-26 Approve: Requesting authorization to transfer $300,000 to fund new positions in the
City Council Approved 24-0
Accept the committee recommendations on 12 items without discussion (#13-26, #23-26, #32-26, #25-26, #18-26, #37-26, ...)
The City Council voted without discussion 24 Yeas, 0 Nays, 0 Absent to Accept the Committee Recommendations on the following:
One vote on the block of items the council took up without discussion. The items: #13-26 Request to amend Special Permit #216-88 to extend a nonconforming...; #23-26 Request for ordinance amendments to change oversight of the...; #32-26 Reorganization plan to create a new Arts and Culture Department; #25-26 Appointment of Meryl Kessler as the Director of Newton's Arts and...; #18-26 Requesting renewal of public auto license; #37-26 Class 2 Auto Dealer License; #36-26 Class 2 Auto Dealers License; #38-26 Class 2 Auto Dealer License; #39-26 Class 2 Auto Dealer License; #19-26 Class 1 Auto Dealer License; #59-26 Presentation and Discussion on Report of the Newton Housing...; #57-26 Request for discussion and ordinance amendment(s) to dimensional....
From the minutes
“The City Council voted without discussion 24 Yeas, 0 Nays, 0 Absent to Accept the Committee Recommendations on the following:.”
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.
How to read these pagesWhere the votes come from, how we check them against the official minutes, what isn't included yet, and how to report a mistake.About city pages →