MassVoter.com← WoburnMunicipal votes · 2022–2023 Council
Woburn City Council
How the Woburn City Council voted, from the City Clerk's official minutes. 9 councilors: one from each of the city’s 7 wards and 2 elected at large. Elected November 2021 and sworn in January 3, 2022. Council President: Michael P. Concannon (elected January 3, 2022, nine votes). Lou DiMambro (Ward 6) and Charles Viola (Ward 7) joined the council, succeeding Edward Tedesco and Michael Lannan. Michael P. Concannon was elected Mayor in November 2023. Covers 48 meetings, January 3 to December 19, 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)Council sessions
Coming up
MassVoter can’t read Woburn’s meeting calendar automatically yet. See upcoming meetings on the official site →
Councilors
Joanne E. CampbellMember · Ward 1 · at 41 of 48 meetings
Joseph E. DemersMember · Ward 4 · at 47 of 48 meetings
Lou DiMambroMember · Ward 6 · at 48 of 48 meetings
Jeffrey P. DillonMember · Ward 3 · at 47 of 48 meetings
Robert J. FerulloMember · At-large · at 41 of 48 meetingsRichard F. GatelyMember · Ward 2 · at 34 of 48 meetings
Darlene Mercer-BruenMember · Ward 5 · at 47 of 48 meetings
Charles ViolaMember · Ward 7 · at 48 of 48 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 Woburn City Council meeting with a posted journal (the council’s official minutes) from January 1, 2018 through July 21, 2026: 207 meetings (regular meetings, special and budget meetings, and the inaugural meetings) and 8,114 votes. Council committee meetings are not loaded. The city’s website has council journals back to 2006; MassVoter has loaded 2018 on. Three journals (October 2 and October 16, 2018, and October 7, 2025) are not listed on the city’s Minutes & Agendas page, and the June 16, 2020 journal is not linked from its meeting page; MassVoter found them in the city’s website file library. Not here: meetings with an agenda but no posted journal (the January 6, 2020 inaugural meeting; December 11, 2018; the June 10, 2019 and June 24, 2020 budget meetings, where the June 24, 2020 link is broken; May 2 and October 3, 2023; September 17, 2024; and November 18, 2025; MassVoter is asking the City Clerk), and meetings after July 21, 2026 (the August 18, September 15 and October 6, 2026 journals are not posted yet). Eight journals from 2019, 2023 and 2024 were posted as Word documents; all the journals are typed text. Woburn’s journals record nearly every vote as “Motion made and 2nd that …, all in favor, 9-0,” naming in parentheses any councilor who voted no, abstained or was absent (“all in favor, 6-2-1 (Demers and Toro Against; Ferullo Absent)”), and the roll call at the top lists the councilors present. When the count adds up with the roll call, we show each councilor’s vote: those named as voting no or abstaining as recorded, those named as absent left out, and the other councilors present voting yes. Many votes, especially in 2019–2021, were roll calls by name (“Campbell - Yes; Concannon - No; …”), shown as recorded; when a roll call leaves out a councilor who was present, that councilor is left out of the vote, with a note. Elections of the Council President and of members to fill vacant seats were roll calls naming a person: when every councilor named the same person we show each as voting yes; otherwise we show the result only and quote the names. Councilors who arrived late, or whom the journal says recused or left the chamber, are left out of the votes taken while they were out, with a note. When a count does not add up with the roll call (for example “9-0” when only eight councilors were seated, or a count that includes a councilor the journal says had recused and left the chamber), we show the count only, with a note (50 votes); 13 votes show the result only. The journals rarely say who made or seconded a motion. The members were called Aldermen until a 2021 state law changed the title to Councilor. We will ask the city 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.
Nov 21Take the next two matters collectivelyMotion: Motion made and 2nd to TAKE THE NEXT TWO MATTERS COLLECTIVELY,…Passed 7–0 · Abstained: Ferullo
November 21, 2023: Take the next two matters collectively
Motion made and 2nd to TAKE THE NEXT TWO MATTERS COLLECTIVELY, all in favor, 7-0-1 (Councilor Ferullo abstained) (Gately Absent)
Yes: Campbell, Concannon, Demers, DiMambro, Dillon, Mercer-Bruen, ViolaAbstained: Ferullo
From the minutes
“Motion made and 2nd to TAKE THE NEXT TWO MATTERS COLLECTIVELY, all in favor, 7-0-1 (Councilor Ferullo abstained) (Gately Absent).”
Nov 21Make A finding to follow the guidance as outlined…Motion: Motion made and 2nd to MAKE A FINDING TO FOLLOW THE…Passed 8–0 · see note
November 21, 2023: Make A finding to follow the guidance as outlined by the city solicitor
Motion made and 2nd to MAKE A FINDING TO FOLLOW THE GUIDANCE AS OUTLINED BY THE CITY SOLICITOR, all in favor 8-0-19 (Gately Absent).
The journal gives the count as 8-0-19 and names Richard F. Gately (absent), which does not add up with the eight members on the roll call (Joanne E. Campbell, Robert J. Ferullo, Joseph E. Demers, Jeffrey P. Dillon, Darlene Mercer-Bruen, Lou DiMambro, Charles Viola and Michael P. Concannon). Showing the count only.
From the minutes
“Motion made and 2nd to MAKE A FINDING TO FOLLOW THE GUIDANCE AS OUTLINED BY THE CITY SOLICITOR, all in favor 8-0-19 (Gately Absent)..”
Nov 21Make A finding to follow the guidance as outlined…Motion: Motion made and 2nd to MAKE A FINDING TO FOLLOW THE…Passed 8–0 · see note
November 21, 2023: Make A finding to follow the guidance as outlined by the city solicitor
Motion made and 2nd to MAKE A FINDING TO FOLLOW THE GUIDANCE AS OUTLINED BY THE CITY SOLICITOR, all in favor 8-0-19 (Gately Absent).
The journal gives the count as 8-0-19 and names Richard F. Gately (absent), which does not add up with the eight members on the roll call (Joanne E. Campbell, Robert J. Ferullo, Joseph E. Demers, Jeffrey P. Dillon, Darlene Mercer-Bruen, Lou DiMambro, Charles Viola and Michael P. Concannon). Showing the count only.
From the minutes
“Motion made and 2nd to MAKE A FINDING TO FOLLOW THE GUIDANCE AS OUTLINED BY THE CITY SOLICITOR, all in favor 8-0-19 (Gately Absent)..”
Sep 19The special permit be denied, with the following findings:…Motion: Motion made and 2nd that the SPECIAL PERMIT BE DENIED, with…Passed 2–0 · see note
September 19, 2023: The special permit be denied, with the following findings: 1. The Plan is incomplete and not stamped by an engineer; and 2. The Plan had multiple parcels with multiple landowners…
Motion made and 2nd that the SPECIAL PERMIT BE DENIED, with the following findings: 1. The Plan is incomplete and not stamped by an engineer; and 2. The Plan had multiple parcels with multiple landowners and the application only referenced the one parcel at 2 Lowell Street, ROLL CALL: Campbell - Absent; Demers - Yes; Dillon - Yes; DiMambro - Yes; Ferullo - Opposed; Gately - Yes; Mercer-Bruen - Yes; Viola - Yes; Concannon - Opposed. Motion Passes.
Yes: Concannon, FerulloEach member who voted named the same choice (Opposed).
From the minutes
“Motion made and 2nd that the SPECIAL PERMIT BE DENIED, with the following findings: 1. The Plan is incomplete and not stamped by an engineer; and 2. The Plan had multiple parcels with multiple landowners and the application only referenced the one parcel at 2 Lowell Street, ROLL CALL: Campbell - Absent; Demers - Yes; Dillon - Yes; DiMambro - Yes; Ferullo - Opposed; Gately - Yes; Mercer-Bruen - Yes; Viola - Yes; Concannon - Opposed. Motion Passes..”
Sep 19Take the next two matters collectivelyMotion: Motion made and 2nd to take the next two matters collectively,…Passed 6–0 · Abstained: Ferullo, Gately
September 19, 2023: Take the next two matters collectively
Motion made and 2nd to take the next two matters collectively, all in favor, 6-0-1-2 (Campbell Absent; Ferullo and Gately Abstain).
Yes: Concannon, Demers, DiMambro, Dillon, Mercer-Bruen, ViolaAbstained: Ferullo, Gately
From the minutes
“Motion made and 2nd to take the next two matters collectively, all in favor, 6-0-1-2 (Campbell Absent; Ferullo and Gately Abstain)..”
Jul 11Take the next two matters collectivelyMotion: Motion made and 2nd to take the next two matters collectively,…Passed 7–0 · Abstained: Ferullo, Gately
July 11, 2023: Take the next two matters collectively
Motion made and 2nd to take the next two matters collectively, all in favor, 7-0-2 (Ferullo and Gately Abstain).
Yes: Campbell, Concannon, Demers, DiMambro, Dillon, Mercer-Bruen, ViolaAbstained: Ferullo, Gately
From the minutes
“Motion made and 2nd to take the next two matters collectively, all in favor, 7-0-2 (Ferullo and Gately Abstain)..”
Jun 6Take the next two matters collectivelyMotion: Motion made and 2nd to take the next two matters collectively,…Passed 7–0 · Abstained: Ferullo, Gately
June 6, 2023: Take the next two matters collectively
Motion made and 2nd to take the next two matters collectively, all in favor, 7-0-2 (Ferullo and Gately Abstain).
Yes: Campbell, Concannon, Demers, DiMambro, Dillon, Mercer-Bruen, ViolaAbstained: Ferullo, Gately
From the minutes
“Motion made and 2nd to take the next two matters collectively, all in favor, 7-0-2 (Ferullo and Gately Abstain)..”
Apr 4Take the next two matters collectivelyMotion: Motion made and 2nd to take the next two matters collectively,…Passed 6–0 · Abstained: Ferullo, Gately
April 4, 2023: Take the next two matters collectively
Motion made and 2nd to take the next two matters collectively, ROLL CALL: Campbell - Yes; Demers - Yes; Dillon - Absent; DiMambro - Yes; Ferullo - Abstain; Gately - Abstain; Mercer-Bruen - Yes; Viola - Yes; Concannon - Yes.
Yes: Campbell, Concannon, Demers, DiMambro, Mercer-Bruen, ViolaAbstained: Ferullo, Gately
From the minutes
“Motion made and 2nd to take the next two matters collectively, ROLL CALL: Campbell - Yes; Demers - Yes; Dillon - Absent; DiMambro - Yes; Ferullo - Abstain; Gately - Abstain; Mercer-Bruen - Yes; Viola - Yes; Concannon - Yes..”
Apr 4The order be adopted — From the Traffic Commission:…Motion: Motion made and 2nd that the ORDER BE ADOPTED, ROLL CALL:…Passed 7–0 · Abstained: Ferullo
April 4, 2023: The order be adopted — From the Traffic Commission: ordered Be it ordered that Schedule 1 Parking Restrictions of the 2017 Woburn Traffic Code, as amended, be further amended by…
Motion made and 2nd that the ORDER BE ADOPTED, ROLL CALL: Campbell - Yes; Demers - Yes; Dillon - Absent; DiMambro - Yes; Ferullo - Abstain; Gately - Yes; Mercer- Bruen - Yes; Viola - Yes; Concannon - Yes.
Yes: Campbell, Concannon, Demers, DiMambro, Gately, Mercer-Bruen, ViolaAbstained: Ferullo
From the minutes
“Motion made and 2nd that the ORDER BE ADOPTED, ROLL CALL: Campbell - Yes; Demers - Yes; Dillon - Absent; DiMambro - Yes; Ferullo - Abstain; Gately - Yes; Mercer- Bruen - Yes; Viola - Yes; Concannon - Yes..”
Feb 21Take the next two matters collectivelyMotion: Motion made and 2nd to take the next two matters collectively,…Passed 7–0 · Abstained: Ferullo
February 21, 2023: Take the next two matters collectively
Motion made and 2nd to take the next two matters collectively, all in favor, 7-0-1-1 (Gately Absent, Ferullo Abstain).
Yes: Campbell, Concannon, Demers, DiMambro, Dillon, Mercer-Bruen, ViolaAbstained: Ferullo
From the minutes
“Motion made and 2nd to take the next two matters collectively, all in favor, 7-0-1-1 (Gately Absent, Ferullo Abstain)..”
From the Woburn City Council’s official journals (its minutes), posted on the city’s Minutes & Agendas page (City Council). We check every vote against the councilors present and quote the exact wording. MassVoter never grades or scores officials. Photos (the city’s website has no councilor photos): Robert Toro, Joseph Demers (courtesy of each), Jeffrey Dillon, Lou DiMambro and Charles Viola from Woburn Patch (2019–2023); Yano Amara (December 31, 2025) and Darlene Mercer-Bruen (July 23, 2021, captioned group photo, cropped) from the Daily Times Chronicle; William Pappalardo and Robert Ferullo cropped from the Daily Times Chronicle’s captioned 2026 City Council photo (January 7, 2026). Former councilors show initials.
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