MassVoter.com← Woburn City CouncilWoburn City Council · 2026–2027 Council · Special meeting
January 5, 2026
6 recorded votes, 3 with disagreement.
Sources: Official minutes (PDF) · City meeting page
A monthly email on what it voted on, starting in November.
Attendance
Note on these minutes: Inaugural exercises and organizational meeting: the journal lists the nine members-elect as present; they took the oath of office at the start of the meeting.
Present: Yano Amara, Robert J. Ferullo, Joseph E. Demers, Darlene Mercer-Bruen, Jeffrey P. Dillon, William J. Pappalardo, Lou DiMambro, Robert F. Toro, Charles Viola
Absent: None
Every vote, in order
Election of Council President
Election of Council President, first ballot (no one received a majority)
BALLOT ONE, ROLL CALL: Amara - Demers; Demers - Demers; Dillon - Dillon; DiMambro - Dillon; Ferullo - Demers; Mercer-Bruen - Toro; Pappalardo - Dillon; Toro - Demers; Viola - Dillon.
Each member named a choice: Amara – Demers; Demers – Demers; Dillon – Dillon; DiMambro – Dillon; Ferullo – Demers; Mercer-Bruen – Toro; Pappalardo – Dillon; Toro – Demers; Viola – Dillon. No one received a majority, so the council voted again.
From the minutes
“BALLOT ONE, ROLL CALL: Amara - Demers; Demers - Demers; Dillon - Dillon; DiMambro - Dillon; Ferullo - Demers; Mercer-Bruen - Toro; Pappalardo - Dillon; Toro - Demers; Viola - Dillon..”
Election of Council President, second ballot (no one received a majority)
BALLOT TWO, ROLL CALL: Amara - Demers; Demers - Demers; Dillon - Dillon; DiMambro - Dillon; Ferullo - Demers; Mercer-Bruen - Toro; Pappalardo - Dillon; Toro - Toro; Viola - Dillon.
Each member named a choice: Amara – Demers; Demers – Demers; Dillon – Dillon; DiMambro – Dillon; Ferullo – Demers; Mercer-Bruen – Toro; Pappalardo – Dillon; Toro – Toro; Viola – Dillon. No one received a majority, so the council voted again.
From the minutes
“BALLOT TWO, ROLL CALL: Amara - Demers; Demers - Demers; Dillon - Dillon; DiMambro - Dillon; Ferullo - Demers; Mercer-Bruen - Toro; Pappalardo - Dillon; Toro - Toro; Viola - Dillon..”
Election of Council President, third ballot: Robert F. Toro, Jr. elected with six votes
BALLOT THREE, ROLL CALL: Amara - Toro; Demers - Toro; Dillon - Dillon; DiMambro - Toro; Ferullo - Toro; Mercer-Bruen - Toro; Pappalardo - Dillon; Toro - Toro; Viola - Dillon.
Each member named a choice: Amara – Toro; Demers – Toro; Dillon – Dillon; DiMambro – Toro; Ferullo – Toro; Mercer-Bruen – Toro; Pappalardo – Dillon; Toro – Toro; Viola – Dillon. Robert F. Toro, Jr. received six votes and was declared elected. Showing the result only, because the members named different people.
From the minutes
“BALLOT THREE, ROLL CALL: Amara - Toro; Demers - Toro; Dillon - Dillon; DiMambro - Toro; Ferullo - Toro; Mercer-Bruen - Toro; Pappalardo - Dillon; Toro - Toro; Viola - Dillon..”
Inaugural and organizational meeting
By unanimous consent Robert F. Toro, Jr. be elected President of the City Council
Motion made and 2nd that by unanimous consent Robert F. Toro, Jr. be elected President of the City Council, ROLL CALL: Amara - Yes; Demers - Yes; Dillon - Yes; DiMambro - Yes; Ferullo - Yes; Mercer-Bruen - Yes; Pappalardo - Yes; Toro - Yes; Viola - Yes. Motion Passes.
From the minutes
“Motion made and 2nd that by unanimous consent Robert F. Toro, Jr. be elected President of the City Council, ROLL CALL: Amara - Yes; Demers - Yes; Dillon - Yes; DiMambro - Yes; Ferullo - Yes; Mercer-Bruen - Yes; Pappalardo - Yes; Toro - Yes; Viola - Yes. Motion Passes..”
The order be adopted — Order: The Rules and Orders of the City Council of 2024-2025 be adopted as the Rules of the present City Council until otherwise Ordered
Motion made and 2nd that the ORDER be ADOPTED, ROLL CALL: Amara - Yes; Demers - Yes; Dillon - Yes; DiMambro - Yes; Ferullo - Yes; Mercer-Bruen - Yes; Pappalardo - Yes; Viola - Yes; Toro - Yes. Motion Passes.
From the minutes
“Motion made and 2nd that the ORDER be ADOPTED, ROLL CALL: Amara - Yes; Demers - Yes; Dillon - Yes; DiMambro - Yes; Ferullo - Yes; Mercer-Bruen - Yes; Pappalardo - Yes; Viola - Yes; Toro - Yes. Motion Passes..”
Adjourn
Motion made and 2nd to ADJOURN, ROLL CALL: Amara - Yes; Demers - Yes; Dillon - Yes; DiMambro - Yes; Ferullo - Yes; Mercer-Bruen - Yes; Pappalardo - Yes; Viola - Yes; Toro - Yes. Motion Passes.
From the minutes
“Motion made and 2nd to ADJOURN, ROLL CALL: Amara - Yes; Demers - Yes; Dillon - Yes; DiMambro - Yes; Ferullo - Yes; Mercer-Bruen - Yes; Pappalardo - Yes; Viola - Yes; Toro - Yes. Motion Passes..”
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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