MassVoter.com← Taunton Municipal CouncilTaunton Municipal Council · 2026–2027 Council · Regular meeting
January 13, 2026
26 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: Scott Martin, John McCaul, Deborah Carr, David Pottier, David Chaves, Edward Correira, Phillip Duarte, Debra Botellio, Barry Sanders
Absent: None
Every vote, in order
So Voted.
To go out of the regular order of business to Appointments
From the minutes
“Motion made to go out of the regular order of business to Appointments. So voted.”
Communication from the City Clerk regarding appointment and swearing-in of three (3) permanent full-time Fire Lieutenants.
To appoint and swear-in Robert F. Fitzgerald effective January 13, 2026, Jeremy James Rezendes effective January 14, 2026 and Gerald C. Peterson, II effective January 15, 2026 as Lieutenants
From the minutes
“Motion made to appoint and swear-in Robert F. Fitzgerald effective January 13, 2026, Jeremy James Rezendes effective January 14, 2026 and Gerald C. Peterson, II effective January 15, 2026 as Lieutenants on a roll call vote. On a roll call vote, nine (9) Councilors were present, nine (9) Councilors voted in favor. Motion passed..”
The City Clerk then swore-in the Fire Lieutenants. Communication from the City Clerk regarding appointment and Swearing-in of one (1) permanent full-time Fire Captain.
To appoint and swear-in Kevin C. Farrar as Fire Captain effective January 13, 2026
From the minutes
“Motion made to appoint and swear-in Kevin C. Farrar as Fire Captain effective January 13, 2026 on a roll call vote. On a roll call vote, nine (9) Councilors were present, nine (9) Councilors voted in favor..”
2 Communication from Mayor O'Connell regarding the reappointment of Lisa Bond, Esq. as First Assistant City Solicitor for a term of two (2) years expiring December 31, 2027.
To approve
From the minutes
“Motion made to approve. Nine (9) Councilors present, nine (9) Councilors voting in favor. So voted..”
Communication from Mayor O'Connell regarding the reappointment of Attorney Thomas P. Gay, Jr., as Second Assistant City Solicitor for a term of two (2) years expiring December 31, 2027.
To approve
From the minutes
“Motion made to approve. Nine (9) Councilors present, nine (9) Councilors voting in favor. So voted..”
Re-Appointment of Various City Officials for a Three Year Term Expiring January 2029: Communication from Mayor O'Connell supporting the reappointment of Assessor Lisa LaBelle.
To re-appoint Lisa LaBelle as Assessor
From the minutes
“Motion made to re-appoint Lisa LaBelle as Assessor. Nine (9) Councilors present, nine (9) Councilors voting in favor. So voted..”
The City Clerk then swore-in the Assessor. Communication from Mayor O'Connell supporting the reappointment of Auditor Ian Fortes.
To re-appoint Ian Fortes as Auditor
From the minutes
“Motion made to re-appoint Ian Fortes as Auditor. Nine (9) Councilors present, nine (9) Councilors voting in favor. So voted..”
Dr. Bruce Bodner
To re-appoint Dr
From the minutes
“Motion made to re-appoint Dr. Bruce Bodner to the Board of Health. So voted..”
Kevin Downing Brian Belanger William F. Hanna, III Katharine McGann Audrey Reese Jason Cross
To re-appoint the list as read as Library Trustees
From the minutes
“Motion made to re-appoint the list as read as Library Trustees. So voted..”
Opportunity for input by the general public.
To open Public Input
From the minutes
“Motion made to open Public Input. So voted..”
Communication from Mayor O'Connell supporting the reappointment of Auditor Ian Fortes
To close public input
From the minutes
“Motion was made to close public input. So voted..”
Communication from Mayor O'Connell notifying that our Finance Department has been awarded its third consecutive Certificate of Excellence in Financial Reporting from the Government Finance Officers Association (GFOA)
To refer to the Council of the Whole
From the minutes
“Motion made to refer to the Council of the Whole. So voted..”
Communication from the Chief Financial Officer requesting to meet with the Committee of the Whole to present the Capital Improvement Program (CIP) on January 27, 2026 for a discussion and a vote on the next phase of the City's reinvestment platform.
To refer to the Committee of the Whole
From the minutes
“Motion made to refer to the Committee of the Whole. So voted..”
Communication from the Chief Financial Officer notifying of funds received for the monies owed at the closing of 437 Whittenton Street
To refer to the Committee on Finance and Salaries and requested that the CFO provide the City Council with a complete list of everything that was included with closing the amounts and everything that was paid to finalize that closing
From the minutes
“Motion made to refer to the Committee on Finance and Salaries and requested that the CFO provide the City Council with a complete list of everything that was included with closing the amounts and everything that was paid to finalize that closing. So voted..”
Communication from Craig Foley, Airport Coordinator requesting to pay a prior year bill from RPF Environmental dated June 30, 2021 (FY21) for abatement monitoring, testing, lab work and review pertaining to the demolition on the old airport building in the amount of $4,200.00.
To refer to the Committee on Finance and Salaries
From the minutes
“Motion was made to refer to the Committee on Finance and Salaries. So voted..”
Communication from the Safety Officer requesting Ordinances for a stop sign at the intersection at Sao Paulo Avenue and Hodges Street and also on Round Street at Hodges Avenue.
To refer to the Committee on Ordinances and Enrolled Bills
From the minutes
“Motion made to refer to the Committee on Ordinances and Enrolled Bills. So voted..”
Communication from the Assistant Executive Director of Retirement notifying of a retirement for Scott Wentworth, an employee of the Taunton Fire Department set to retire on February 9, 2026 with 30 years and 9 months of creditable service in the retirement system.
To approve and send the appropriate scroll
From the minutes
“Motion made to approve and send the appropriate scroll. So voted..”
Communication from the Director of Elections submitting a retirement buyout for Karen Andrade who retired from her Head Administrative Clerk position on January 7, 2026 in the amount of $23,970
To refer the position of Head Administrative Clerk in the Election Department to the Human Resource Director to ask if this positon has been posted
From the minutes
“Councilor Botellio made a motion to refer the position of Head Administrative Clerk in the Election Department to the Human Resource Director to ask if this positon has been posted. So voted..” (Motion: Botellio)
Communication from Maria Wilson, Rodman for Kids, 10 Lincoln Road, Suite 205, Foxboro, MA requesting approval to conduct the 36" Annual Rodman Ride for Kids on Saturday, May 16, 2026.
To move approval and notify Public Safety
From the minutes
“Motion was made to move approval and notify Public Safety. So Voted..”
Class II License - RENEWAL 1. Corrao Motors located at 251 Broadway, Taunton
To refer to the Committee on Police and License and the Police Chief
From the minutes
“Motion made to refer to the Committee on Police and License and the Police Chief. So voted..”
Class II License - NAME CHANGE Petition submitted by Nichola K. Dobeib requesting to change the name of his Class II license from A T.N.T Auto Sales, LLC to ATNT Auto Sales, Inc. The location will remain 391 Winthrop Street, Taunton.
To refer to the Committee on Police and License and the Police Chief
From the minutes
“Motion made to refer to the Committee on Police and License and the Police Chief. So voted..”
Committee reports
For Committee Reports to be read by title and approved
From the minutes
“Motion was made for Committee Reports to be read by title and approved. So Voted..”
Communication from Craig Foley, Airport Coordinator requesting to pay a prior year bill from RPF Environmental dated June 30, 2021 (FY21) for abatement monitoring, testing, lab work and review pertaining to the demolition on the old airpo
To refer to the Committee on Finance and Salaries for the file in the event Councilor Carr would like to discuss this
From the minutes
“Motion was made to refer to the Committee on Finance and Salaries for the file in the event Councilor Carr would like to discuss this. So Voted..”
Resolutions: Ordinance for a first reading to be passed to a second reading 5 AN ORDINANCE Chapter 10 BOARDS, COMMISSIONS AND COMMITTEES Be it ordained by the Municipal Council of the City of Taunton and by authority of the same
To pass to a second reading
From the minutes
“Motion made to pass to a second reading. So voted..”
Order to be ordained on a roll call vote Ordered That, The City Auditor is Authorized to establish a Healthy Outcomes Fund that is an independent fund to address food insecurity and temporary emergency shelter concerns Citywide
To ordain as amended
Yes: Botellio, Chaves, Duarte, Martin, McCaul, Pottier, SandersNo: Carr, Correira
From the minutes
“On a roll call vote to ordain as amended, nine (9) Councilors were present, seven (7) Councilors voted in favor. Councilors Carr and Correira voted in opposition. Motion passed..”
To refer to the Council as a Whole a discussion on the Rules of the Council and Subcommittees either added, deleted or no action taken
From the minutes
“Councilor Carr made a motion to refer to the Council as a Whole a discussion on the Rules of the Council and Subcommittees either added, deleted or no action taken. Also, the items on Public Input and Section A501-2, G. So voted..” (Motion: Carr)
From the official minutes kept by the Taunton City Clerk (agendas and minutes). From the Taunton Municipal Council’s official minutes, posted in the city’s Agenda Center. Most items pass by voice (“So voted”), and the minutes record only the result for those; how each councilor voted is shown for roll calls. MassVoter never grades officials; votes and attendance are shown exactly as the minutes record them. MassVoter never grades officials; votes and attendance are shown exactly as the minutes record them. Councilor photos: City of Taunton Municipal Council page (taunton-ma.gov). Former councilors show initials.
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