city council

The speculation in New Bedford of a special election to replace Mayor Mitchell has clouded the reality that there's an open seat on the city council this year.

New Bedford has a tradition of re-electing incumbent politicians in good times and bad. Most incumbents in the U.S. get re-elected, but New Bedford is special.

There will be a new New Bedford at-large council member elected next year. Long-time councilor Deb Coelho is retiring and that means a new councilor in 2021.

The New Bedford City Council on Wednesday approved a lower tax rate for residential and commercial property owners in the 2021 fiscal year.

Mayor Jon Mitchell recently vetoed a city council ordinance that would overhaul the residency requirement for certain municipal employees.

There has been a residency requirement for some New Bedford city employees for decades. It hasn't been perfect and it has been controversial at times.

Mayor Jon Mitchell told me that several councilors don't bother to read the budget before voting to make cuts.

Debora Coelho and Hugh Dunn were not coerced to serve on the council. They asked for the privilege to serve. And they failed to show up.

The two leaders in this budget session are veteran City Councilor Linda Morad and City Councilor Maria Giesta, a relative newcomer to the local legislature.

New Bedford is like many of the small cities in America, facing the financial fallout from COVID-19. The mayor has a plan. Some councilors have a plan, too.