MassVoter.com← Somerville City CouncilSomerville City Council · 2024–2025 Council · Special meeting
May 5, 2025
9 recorded votes, 9 with disagreement.
Sources: Official minutes (PDF) · Meeting video · City meeting page
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Note on these minutes: Called to order by Ward Six City Councilor Lance Davis. Judy Pineda Neufeld arrived late (8:04 PM).
Present: Willie Burnley, Kristen Strezo, Jake Wilson, Matthew McLaughlin, J.T. Scott, Ben Ewen-Campen, Jesse Clingan, Naima Sait, Lance Davis, Judy Pineda Neufeld
Absent: Wilfred Mbah
Every vote, in order
Order #25-0742
Place on file: That the City Solicitor appear before this City Council to discuss the proposed Charter currently in the Mayor's office and update this Council on its progress
Yes: Burnley, Clingan, Davis, Ewen-Campen, McLaughlin, Sait, Scott, Strezo, WilsonThe minutes list Judy Pineda Neufeld as absent for this vote; left out of it. The minutes record the result as “Placed on file”, with a roll call.
From the minutes
“RESULT: PLACED ON FILE AYE: City Councilor At Large Wilson, Ward Three City Councilor Ewen-Campen, Ward Two City Councilor Scott, Ward One City Councilor McLaughlin, City Councilor At Large Burnley Jr., Ward Five City Councilor Sait, City Councilor At Large Strezo, Ward Four City Councilor Clingan, and Ward Six City Councilor Davis ABSENT: City Councilor At Large Mbah, and Ward Seven City Councilor Pineda Neufeld.”
Home #25-0774
Proposing a Home Rule Petition to establish a charter for the City of Somerville
Yes: Burnley, Clingan, Davis, Ewen-Campen, McLaughlin, Neufeld, Sait, Strezo, WilsonNo: Scott
From the minutes
“RESULT: APPROVED AS AMENDED AYE: City Councilor At Large Wilson, Ward Three City Councilor Ewen-Campen, Ward One City Councilor McLaughlin, City Councilor At Large Burnley Jr., Ward Five City Councilor Sait, City Councilor At Large Strezo, Ward Four City Councilor Clingan, Ward Six City Councilor Davis, and Ward Seven City Councilor Pineda Neufeld NAY: Ward Two City Councilor Scott ABSENT: City Councilor At Large Mbah.”
Mayor's Request #25-0853
Place on file: Requesting approval of a Home Rule Petition to establish a charter for the City of Somerville
Yes: Clingan, Davis, Ewen-Campen, McLaughlin, Neufeld, Sait, Scott, Strezo, WilsonThe minutes list Willie Burnley as absent for this vote; left out of it. The minutes record the result as “Placed on file”, with a roll call.
From the minutes
“RESULT: PLACED ON FILE AYE: City Councilor At Large Wilson, Ward Three City Councilor Ewen-Campen, Ward Two City Councilor Scott, Ward One City Councilor McLaughlin, Ward Five City Councilor Sait, City Councilor At Large Strezo, Ward Four City Councilor Clingan, Ward Six City Councilor Davis, and Ward Seven City Councilor Pineda Neufeld ABSENT: City Councilor At Large Mbah, and City Councilor At Large Burnley Jr..”
Order #25-0910
That the proposed Charter be amended relative to the inclusion of the Chief Administrative Officer as a Charter office by inserting a new section placing the question on the ballot
Yes: Burnley, ScottNo: Clingan, Davis, Ewen-Campen, McLaughlin, Neufeld, Sait, Strezo, Wilson
From the minutes
“RESULT: NOT APPROVED AYE: Ward Two City Councilor Scott, and City Councilor At Large Burnley Jr. NAY: City Councilor At Large Wilson, Ward Three City Councilor Ewen-Campen, Ward One City Councilor McLaughlin, Ward Five City Councilor Sait, City Councilor At Large Strezo, Ward Four City Councilor Clingan, Ward Six City Councilor Davis, and Ward Seven City Councilor Pineda Neufeld ABSENT: City Councilor At Large Mbah.”
Order #25-0911
That the proposed Charter be amended relative to the City Council authority to redirect budget funds by inserting a new section placing the question on the ballot
Yes: Burnley, ScottNo: Clingan, Davis, Ewen-Campen, McLaughlin, Neufeld, Sait, Strezo, Wilson
From the minutes
“RESULT: NOT APPROVED AYE: Ward Two City Councilor Scott, and City Councilor At Large Burnley Jr. NAY: City Councilor At Large Wilson, Ward Three City Councilor Ewen-Campen, Ward One City Councilor McLaughlin, Ward Five City Councilor Sait, City Councilor At Large Strezo, Ward Four City Councilor Clingan, Ward Six City Councilor Davis, and Ward Seven City Councilor Pineda Neufeld ABSENT: City Councilor At Large Mbah.”
Order #25-0912
That the proposed Charter be amended relative to reducing the voting age in municipal elections by inserting a new section placing the question on the ballot
Yes: Burnley, ScottNo: Clingan, Davis, Ewen-Campen, McLaughlin, Neufeld, Sait, Strezo, Wilson
From the minutes
“RESULT: NOT APPROVED AYE: Ward Two City Councilor Scott, and City Councilor At Large Burnley Jr. NAY: City Councilor At Large Wilson, Ward Three City Councilor Ewen-Campen, Ward One City Councilor McLaughlin, Ward Five City Councilor Sait, City Councilor At Large Strezo, Ward Four City Councilor Clingan, Ward Six City Councilor Davis, and Ward Seven City Councilor Pineda Neufeld ABSENT: City Councilor At Large Mbah.”
Order #25-0913
That the proposed Charter be amended relative to extending municipal voting rights to non-citizen residents by inserting a new section placing the question on the ballot
Yes: Burnley, ScottNo: Clingan, Davis, Ewen-Campen, McLaughlin, Neufeld, Sait, Strezo, Wilson
From the minutes
“RESULT: NOT APPROVED AYE: Ward Two City Councilor Scott, and City Councilor At Large Burnley Jr. NAY: City Councilor At Large Wilson, Ward Three City Councilor Ewen-Campen, Ward One City Councilor McLaughlin, Ward Five City Councilor Sait, City Councilor At Large Strezo, Ward Four City Councilor Clingan, Ward Six City Councilor Davis, and Ward Seven City Councilor Pineda Neufeld ABSENT: City Councilor At Large Mbah.”
Order #25-0914
That the proposed Charter be amended relative to utilizing ranked choice voting for single-occupant offices by inserting a new section placing the question on the ballot
Yes: Burnley, ScottNo: Clingan, Davis, Ewen-Campen, McLaughlin, Neufeld, Sait, Strezo, Wilson
From the minutes
“RESULT: NOT APPROVED AYE: Ward Two City Councilor Scott, and City Councilor At Large Burnley Jr. NAY: City Councilor At Large Wilson, Ward Three City Councilor Ewen-Campen, Ward One City Councilor McLaughlin, Ward Five City Councilor Sait, City Councilor At Large Strezo, Ward Four City Councilor Clingan, Ward Six City Councilor Davis, and Ward Seven City Councilor Pineda Neufeld ABSENT: City Councilor At Large Mbah.”
Order #25-0915
That the proposed Charter be amended relative to expanding public availability of the annual budget by inserting a new section placing the question on the ballot
Yes: Burnley, ScottNo: Clingan, Davis, Ewen-Campen, McLaughlin, Neufeld, Sait, Strezo, Wilson
From the minutes
“RESULT: NOT APPROVED AYE: Ward Two City Councilor Scott, and City Councilor At Large Burnley Jr. NAY: City Councilor At Large Wilson, Ward Three City Councilor Ewen-Campen, Ward One City Councilor McLaughlin, Ward Five City Councilor Sait, City Councilor At Large Strezo, Ward Four City Councilor Clingan, Ward Six City Councilor Davis, and Ward Seven City Councilor Pineda Neufeld ABSENT: City Councilor At Large Mbah.”
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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