Springfield’s newest city councilors and School Committee members (and a few old ones) took their seats today, during inauguration ceremonies at City Hall.
The official invitation from Mayor Domenic Sarno’s office noted today’s ceremony marked “the return of Ward Representation,” and indeed, the new electoral system has resulted in some much-welcomed new faces in office: The City Council will now have 13 members, nine of whom are new to the body, eight of them elected from their respective wards. The School Committee will have seven members, including the mayor (who also serves as chairman), two at-large members and the remainder elected from four districts (each made up of two wards). Besides the mayor, only two members, at-large member Antonette Pepe and Chris Collins (who previously held an at-large seat but this November ran successfully for the District 3 seat) are holdovers.
Perhaps like a lot of Springfield voters, I was disappointed not to see the new ward system generate more excitement, more candidates, higher voter turnout than it did, although wiser minds remind me that it will take time for voters and would-be candidates to adjust to the changes. I was also disappointed by the tone of some of the races. I don’t object to the sort of bickering about issues and philosophies that some might find impolite but that I consider a healthy part of politics; rather, I was disappointed by the reminders that even a new system won’t be immune from the same old insider maneuvering that is such a part of Springfield politics—for example, candidates who appeared prodded onto the ballot by the same old scoundrels who served the city so poorly in the past. Still, as I’ve gotten to know some of the newest elected officials, I’ve been impressed by their enthusiasm and commitment, and I’m optimistic that they’ll carry a greater sense of accountability to their constituents than some of their predecessors did.
One thing the new councilors won't be carrying: the responsibility for the new city tax rate. In their final act, on New Year's Eve, the 2008/09 Council voted, 5-to-3, to increase the residential and commercial tax rates, from $17.89 per $1,000 of value to $19.50, and from $36.98 per $1,000 to $39.25, respectively. Councilor Tim Rooke had been pushing for a 30-day extension on the tax rate vote, which typically must be taken by Dec. 31, to allow more discussion and public debate, and to allow the incoming councilors to vote on the rate. (Lest he be accused to trying to dodge the vote, Rooke, it should be noted, has been re-elected for the coming term.) Rooke had three other councilors with him on that effort, resulting in a 4-to-4 deadlock (since the ninth councilor, Bruce Stebbins, was absent). In the end, though, outgoing Councilor Pat Markey shifted sides and voted for the new rate, telling the Republican that he didn't want to stick the burden on the new councilors, and noting that the city's budget had already been set earlier in the year.
Want to celebrate Springfield’s new day yourself? Tonight, in honor of inauguration day, Bright Nights at Forest Park is open, free of charge, from 5-7 p.m. There will also be a celebratory mass on Sunday, Jan. 10, at 11:30 a.m. at Mount Carmel Church, followed by an inauguration party, from 1-4 p.m. at the Sheraton Springfield.
