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City Councilors in Springfield, Massachusetts next week will attempt to fill a vacancy among their ranks.
The council’s General Government Committee voted to recommend a process for appointing a new city councilor for Ward 1 – a seat left vacant in January when Adam Gomez resigned after becoming a State Senator.
It falls to the 12 councilors to pick someone to serve the rest of Gomez’s unexpired term because there was no second-place finisher in the last election in 2019 to automatically take over the seat. It is the first time this circumstance has occurred since Springfield added ward representatives to the City Council 12 years ago.
‘Heavy burden’: Springfield City Council mulls best process to fill Ward 1 seat vacated by Sen. Adam Gomez
Updated Feb 28, 2021;
SPRINGFIELD City councilors will meet Tuesday to consider the best process to pick a replacement for former Ward 1 Councilor Adam Gomez Sr., who resigned mid-term after becoming a state senator.
The council’s General Government committee will meet online at 5 p.m. to discuss the vacancy and the process to review candidates, Chairman Melvin Edwards said.
Five residents of Ward 1 recently submitted applications to replace Gomez. By city charter, the remaining 12 councilors will choose Gomez’s replacement for the balance of 2021.