MassVoter.com← SomervilleMunicipal votes · 2022–2023 Council
Somerville City Council
How the Somerville City Council voted, from the City Clerk's official minutes. 11 councilors: 4 elected at large and one from each of the city’s 7 wards. Elected November 2021; organizational meeting January 3, 2022. Willie Burnley Jr., Charlotte Kelly and Jake Wilson (at-large), Beatriz Gomez Mouakad (Ward 5) and Judy Pineda Neufeld (Ward 7) joined the council. President: Matthew McLaughlin in 2022 (Vice President Ben Ewen-Campen) and Ben Ewen-Campen in 2023 (Vice President Judy Pineda Neufeld). In mid-2022 the city moved its council minutes from its old meeting portal to Legistar; the January 13, 2022 and May 19, 2022 (special) meetings have no minutes online. Covers 49 meetings, January 3 to December 14, 2023.
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 Somerville ballot: 13 quizzes, about a minute each.
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Coming up
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Under the state Open Meeting Law, boards post notice at least 48 hours ahead, not counting weekends and legal holidays.
Councilors
PresidentMatthew McLaughlinPresident (2022) · Ward 1 · at 47 of 49 meetings
Vice PresidentBen Ewen-CampenVice President (2022); President (2023) · Ward 3 · at 46 of 49 meetings
Jesse ClinganCouncilor · Ward 4 · at 46 of 49 meetings
Lance DavisCouncilor · Ward 6 · at 45 of 49 meetingsBeatriz Gomez MouakadCouncilor · Ward 5 · at 42 of 49 meetingsCharlotte KellyCouncilor · At-large · at 47 of 49 meetingsJudy Pineda NeufeldVice President (2023) · Ward 7 · at 45 of 49 meetings
J.T. ScottCouncilor · Ward 2 · at 43 of 49 meetings
Kristen StrezoCouncilor · At-large · at 49 of 49 meetingsJake WilsonCouncilor · At-large · at 49 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
Loaded: every full City Council meeting with minutes online, from January 1, 2018 through September 24, 2026 (231 meetings: regular, special, the organizational meetings each January, and three joint meetings with the School Committee, where only the council’s votes are shown). Minutes through June 2022 come from the city’s old meeting portal and minutes from July 2022 from its Legistar site. Until early 2019 the council was called the Board of Aldermen. Committee and special committee meetings are not loaded, and neither are the November “caucus” meetings, where the incoming council holds a nonbinding vote on its next President. Not here: the minutes of the November 9, 2021 and January 13, 2022 regular meetings and the May 19, 2022 special meeting, which the city has not posted (agendas only; later minutes approve them). MassVoter is asking the City Clerk for them. Older council minutes (2010 to 2017) are online and not loaded here. Attendance comes from the attendance list in the minutes; for thirteen 2022–2026 meetings whose minutes have no list, it comes from the council’s official “Call of the Roll” record on Legistar. Councilors the minutes say arrived late are shown as present. Somerville’s minutes record a result for each item. Roll calls list each councilor by name (“AYE: … NAY: … ABSENT: …”); for those MassVoter shows each councilor’s vote after checking the names against the attendance list. Councilors listed as absent or recused for a single vote are left out of it. Most routine items show only “RESULT: APPROVED”; for those MassVoter shows the result only and never assumes the vote was unanimous. When a roll call leaves out a councilor who was at the meeting, MassVoter shows the other councilors’ votes and leaves that councilor out of the vote, with a note. When the names do not fit the result, it shows the count only and adds a note. Items referred to committee, placed on file, marked “work completed”, laid on the table or withdrawn are not votes and are not listed, unless the minutes give a roll call on them; moments of silence and the call of the roll are not listed. Elections of the Council President and Vice President show the result only, with a note listing the councilors who voted. 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 14Commending outgoing Councilor Beatriz Gomez Mouakad for her outstanding…Passed 10–0 · see note
December 14, 2023: Commending outgoing Councilor Beatriz Gomez Mouakad for her outstanding service to the people of Somerville as Ward 5 City Councilor from 2022 to 2023
Yes: Clingan, Davis, Ewen-Campen, Kelly, McLaughlin, Mouakad, Neufeld, Scott, Strezo, WilsonThe minutes list Willie Burnley as absent for this vote; left out of it.
From the minutes
“RESULT: APPROVED AYE: City Councilor At Large Kelly, City Councilor At Large Strezo, City Councilor At Large Wilson, Ward One City Councilor McLaughlin, Ward Two City Councilor Scott, Ward Three City Councilor Ewen-Campen, Ward Four City Councilor Clingan, Ward Five City Councilor Gomez Mouakad, Ward Six City Councilor Davis, and Ward Seven City Councilor Pineda Neufeld ABSENT: City Councilor At Large Burnley Jr..”
Dec 14Commending outgoing Councilor Charlotte Kelly for her outstanding service…Passed 10–0 · see note
December 14, 2023: Commending outgoing Councilor Charlotte Kelly for her outstanding service to the people of Somerville as City Councilor at Large from 2022 to 2023
Yes: Clingan, Davis, Ewen-Campen, Kelly, McLaughlin, Mouakad, Neufeld, Scott, Strezo, WilsonThe minutes list Willie Burnley as absent for this vote; left out of it.
From the minutes
“RESULT: APPROVED AYE: City Councilor At Large Kelly, City Councilor At Large Strezo, City Councilor At Large Wilson, Ward One City Councilor McLaughlin, Ward Two City Councilor Scott, Ward Three City Councilor Ewen-Campen, Ward Four City Councilor Clingan, Ward Five City Councilor Gomez Mouakad, Ward Six City Councilor Davis, and Ward Seven City Councilor Pineda Neufeld ABSENT: City Councilor At Large Burnley Jr..”
Dec 14Commending Councilor Judy Pineda Neufeld for her distinguished service…Passed 10–0 · see note
December 14, 2023: Commending Councilor Judy Pineda Neufeld for her distinguished service as Vice President of this Council in 2023
Yes: Clingan, Davis, Ewen-Campen, Kelly, McLaughlin, Mouakad, Neufeld, Scott, Strezo, WilsonThe minutes list Willie Burnley as absent for this vote; left out of it.
From the minutes
“RESULT: APPROVED AYE: City Councilor At Large Kelly, City Councilor At Large Strezo, City Councilor At Large Wilson, Ward One City Councilor McLaughlin, Ward Two City Councilor Scott, Ward Three City Councilor Ewen-Campen, Ward Four City Councilor Clingan, Ward Five City Councilor Gomez Mouakad, Ward Six City Councilor Davis, and Ward Seven City Councilor Pineda Neufeld ABSENT: City Councilor At Large Burnley Jr..”
Dec 14Commending Councilor Ben Ewen-Campen for his distinguished service as…Passed 10–0 · see note
December 14, 2023: Commending Councilor Ben Ewen-Campen for his distinguished service as President of this Council in 2023
Yes: Clingan, Davis, Ewen-Campen, Kelly, McLaughlin, Mouakad, Neufeld, Scott, Strezo, WilsonThe minutes list Willie Burnley as absent for this vote; left out of it.
From the minutes
“RESULT: APPROVED AYE: City Councilor At Large Kelly, City Councilor At Large Strezo, City Councilor At Large Wilson, Ward One City Councilor McLaughlin, Ward Two City Councilor Scott, Ward Three City Councilor Ewen-Campen, Ward Four City Councilor Clingan, Ward Five City Councilor Gomez Mouakad, Ward Six City Councilor Davis, and Ward Seven City Councilor Pineda Neufeld ABSENT: City Councilor At Large Burnley Jr..”
Dec 14RCN Telecom applying for a Grant of Location to…Motion: RCN Telecom applying for a Grant of Location to install a…Passed 10–0 · see note
December 14, 2023: RCN Telecom applying for a Grant of Location to install a total of 490 feet of conduit in Columbia Street as follows: Starting from Utility Pole 362/6 located at the…
RCN Telecom applying for a Grant of Location to install a total of 490 feet of conduit in Columbia Street as follows: Starting from Utility Pole 362/6 located at the intersection of Tremont Street and Columbia Street, to three proposed manholes to a point of pickup at 495 Columbia Street. From third proposed manhole, install 45 feet of conduit to Utility Pole 76/4 located near 510 Columbia Street.
Yes: Clingan, Davis, Ewen-Campen, Kelly, McLaughlin, Mouakad, Neufeld, Scott, Strezo, WilsonThe minutes list Willie Burnley as absent for this vote; left out of it.
From the minutes
“RESULT: APPROVED WITH CONDITIONS AYE: City Councilor At Large Kelly, City Councilor At Large Strezo, City Councilor At Large Wilson, Ward One City Councilor McLaughlin, Ward Two City Councilor Scott, Ward Three City Councilor Ewen-Campen, Ward Four City Councilor Clingan, Ward Five City Councilor Gomez Mouakad, Ward Six City Councilor Davis, and Ward Seven City Councilor Pineda Neufeld ABSENT: City Councilor At Large Burnley Jr..”
Dec 14Comcast applying for a Grant of Location to install…Passed 10–0 · see note
December 14, 2023: Comcast applying for a Grant of Location to install three new manholes and a total of 701 feet of conduit in Columbia Street, to a point of pickup at 495…
Yes: Clingan, Davis, Ewen-Campen, Kelly, McLaughlin, Mouakad, Neufeld, Scott, Strezo, WilsonThe minutes list Willie Burnley as absent for this vote; left out of it.
From the minutes
“RESULT: APPROVED WITH CONDITIONS AYE: City Councilor At Large Kelly, City Councilor At Large Strezo, City Councilor At Large Wilson, Ward One City Councilor McLaughlin, Ward Two City Councilor Scott, Ward Three City Councilor Ewen-Campen, Ward Four City Councilor Clingan, Ward Five City Councilor Gomez Mouakad, Ward Six City Councilor Davis, and Ward Seven City Councilor Pineda Neufeld ABSENT: City Councilor At Large Burnley Jr..”
Dec 14Comcast applying for a Grant of Location to install…Passed 10–0 · see note
December 14, 2023: Comcast applying for a Grant of Location to install 7 feet of conduit in Cross Street, from proposed Comcast Manhole to existing Verizon Manhole located near 17 Cross Street
Yes: Clingan, Davis, Ewen-Campen, Kelly, McLaughlin, Mouakad, Neufeld, Scott, Strezo, WilsonThe minutes list Willie Burnley as absent for this vote; left out of it.
From the minutes
“RESULT: APPROVED AYE: City Councilor At Large Kelly, City Councilor At Large Strezo, City Councilor At Large Wilson, Ward One City Councilor McLaughlin, Ward Two City Councilor Scott, Ward Three City Councilor Ewen-Campen, Ward Four City Councilor Clingan, Ward Five City Councilor Gomez Mouakad, Ward Six City Councilor Davis, and Ward Seven City Councilor Pineda Neufeld ABSENT: City Councilor At Large Burnley Jr..”
Dec 14Requesting confirmation of the reappointment of Michael Flynn to…Passed 10–0 · see note
December 14, 2023: Requesting confirmation of the reappointment of Michael Flynn to the Board of Assessors
Yes: Clingan, Davis, Ewen-Campen, Kelly, McLaughlin, Mouakad, Neufeld, Scott, Strezo, WilsonThe minutes list Willie Burnley as absent for this vote; left out of it.
From the minutes
“RESULT: APPROVED AYE: City Councilor At Large Kelly, City Councilor At Large Strezo, City Councilor At Large Wilson, Ward One City Councilor McLaughlin, Ward Two City Councilor Scott, Ward Three City Councilor Ewen-Campen, Ward Four City Councilor Clingan, Ward Five City Councilor Gomez Mouakad, Ward Six City Councilor Davis, and Ward Seven City Councilor Pineda Neufeld ABSENT: City Councilor At Large Burnley Jr..”
Dec 14Requesting confirmation of the reappointment of Richard Scanlon to…Passed 10–0 · see note
December 14, 2023: Requesting confirmation of the reappointment of Richard Scanlon to the Board of Assessors
Yes: Clingan, Davis, Ewen-Campen, Kelly, McLaughlin, Mouakad, Neufeld, Scott, Strezo, WilsonThe minutes list Willie Burnley as absent for this vote; left out of it.
From the minutes
“RESULT: APPROVED AYE: City Councilor At Large Kelly, City Councilor At Large Strezo, City Councilor At Large Wilson, Ward One City Councilor McLaughlin, Ward Two City Councilor Scott, Ward Three City Councilor Ewen-Campen, Ward Four City Councilor Clingan, Ward Five City Councilor Gomez Mouakad, Ward Six City Councilor Davis, and Ward Seven City Councilor Pineda Neufeld ABSENT: City Councilor At Large Burnley Jr..”
Dec 14Requesting confirmation of the appointment of Alexis Washburn to…Passed 10–0 · see note
December 14, 2023: Requesting confirmation of the appointment of Alexis Washburn to the Commission on Energy Use and Climate Change
Yes: Clingan, Davis, Ewen-Campen, Kelly, McLaughlin, Mouakad, Neufeld, Scott, Strezo, WilsonThe minutes list Willie Burnley as absent for this vote; left out of it.
From the minutes
“RESULT: APPROVED AYE: City Councilor At Large Kelly, City Councilor At Large Strezo, City Councilor At Large Wilson, Ward One City Councilor McLaughlin, Ward Two City Councilor Scott, Ward Three City Councilor Ewen-Campen, Ward Four City Councilor Clingan, Ward Five City Councilor Gomez Mouakad, Ward Six City Councilor Davis, and Ward Seven City Councilor Pineda Neufeld ABSENT: City Councilor At Large Burnley Jr..”
From the Somerville City Council’s official minutes, posted on the city’s Legistar meeting calendar (July 2022 on) and its older meeting portal (2010 to mid-2022), both linked from the City Council page on somervillema.gov. We check every vote against the councilors present and quote the exact wording. MassVoter never grades or scores officials. Councilor photos: City of Somerville (somervillema.gov) official headshots for Ben Ewen-Campen, Jesse Clingan, Lance Davis, Wilfred Mbah, Naima Sait, J.T. Scott and Kristen Strezo; The Somerville Times (thesomervilletimes.com) for Emily Hardt, Jon Link, Matthew McLaughlin and Ben Wheeler. Former councilors show initials.
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