City Politics
Incumbent City Council Candidates Focus on Housing Crisis, Voter Engagement in Reelection Campaigns
As 19 candidates vie for Cambridge City Council this fall, the eight incumbents running for reelection are banking on their experience and accomplishments in City Hall to rally support for another term.
Incumbents
Former Cambridge mayor Marc McGovern is among eight incumbents running for reelection to the Cambridge City Council. McGovern is seeking his fifth term.
City Council Candidates Lay Out Plans to Support Arts and Culture at Virtual Forum
At a virtual forum Tuesday night, 13 City Council candidates spoke on the importance of arts and culture in Cambridge and their plans to support and respond to the needs of the arts sector.
City Council Candidates Propose Strategies for Supporting Low-Income Residents at Virtual Forum
Cambridge City Council candidates discussed strategies for federal funding allocation, employment opportunities, and city-wide safety in a virtual forum Thursday evening.
City Council Plans to Increase Minority Representation in Municipal Leadership
The Cambridge City Council unanimously voted to advance a policy order to establish a written plan designed to increase minority representation in municipal government leadership positions.
City Council Candidates Discuss Affordable Housing Ahead of Upcoming Election
Nine candidates for Cambridge City Council addressed how they would tackle affordable housing — a likely high-profile campaign issue ahead of this November’s election — at a candidate forum Sunday.
Bacow Defends Harvard’s Engagement in Allston as Residents, Officials Criticize Development Plans
University President Lawrence S. Bacow on Tuesday defended Harvard’s engagement with residents and officials in Allston, where the school has received forceful pushback from elected leaders and civic organizations about its development plans in the area.
Harvard Enterprise Research Campus Developer Pledges Transportation Improvements
As the Boston Planning and Development Agency proceeds with its review of Harvard’s proposed Enterprise Research Campus, developers, University representatives, and Allston residents met virtually Tuesday to discuss plans to improve local transportation.
Harvard’s Michelle Wu ’07, Annisa Essaibi George Victorious in First Round of Mayoral Election
Boston City Councilors Michelle Wu ’07 and Annissa Essaibi George won Boston’s preliminary mayoral election Tuesday and will advance to the November general election.
Cambridge City Council To Explore Reparations for Slavery, Restitution for War on Drugs
The Cambridge City Council unanimously passed two policy orders to provide restitution to Cambridge residents impacted by the War on Drugs and to explore a reparations pilot program to address slavery and racial discrimination.
Allston Residents, Environmentalists Convene to Discuss Impacts of Harvard Development
Environmental advocates from the Charles River Watershed Association held a forum Monday focusing on the impact of Harvard’s Enterprise Research Campus on the Charles River and the region’s environment more broadly.
Cambridge City Council Meeting
The Cambridge City Council meets for its weekly Monday evening meeting on September 13.
CPD Commissioner Leaves With Mixed Reviews, Steps Into Role Heading Controversial New Police Force
As Cambridge Police Commissioner Branville G. Bard, Jr. leaves the department for Johns Hopkins University, Cambridge residents and City Council members recalled a tenure of mixed results.
City Council Approves Baldwin Neighborhood Name, Replacing Agassiz
The Cambridge City Council on Aug. 2 unanimously approved the renaming of the Agassiz neighborhood north of Harvard to honor Maria L. Baldwin, the first Black female principal in the Northeast.
Cambridge Police Commissioner Bard to Leave Department for Johns Hopkins University
Cambridge Police Commissioner Branville G. Bard, Jr. is leaving the department for Johns Hopkins University, where he will lead the school’s security department as its new vice president for public safety.
Cambridge City Council Begins Hiring Process for Next City Manager
The Cambridge City Council’s Government Operations, Rules & Claims Committee began the process of hiring a new city manager at a meeting Tuesday morning.
City Council Votes to Terminate Contracts With Companies Allegedly Violating Human Rights, Drawing Criticism from Harvard Jewish Leaders
The Cambridge City Council voted to end its contract with companies that “perpetuate violations of International Human Rights Laws” during a Tuesday meeting that followed more than seven hours of public comment the previous day.
‘A Real Power Imbalance’: Conflict Within Cambridge City Government
On May 11, during an otherwise ordinary meeting of the Finance Committee, a dispute erupted between the Cambridge city manager and a city councilor. Disputes like this are common as the balance of power has shifted toward the former in recent decades.
Michelle Wu ’07 Touts Youth Organizers, ‘Foundational’ Harvard Law Experience at Press Conference
Boston City Councilor Michelle Wu ’07, a leading candidate in this fall’s Boston mayoral election, discussed her campaign platform and Harvard influences in a virtual press conference held Monday evening.
Boston Water and Sewer Commission, Stakeholders Weigh Embattled North Allston Drainpipe Expansion
Boston Water and Sewer Commission chief engineer John P. Sullivan justified the BWSC’s plans to proceed with the controversial Harvard-funded North Allston Drainpipe Expansion Project in a virtual meeting with local politicians, Allston residents, and University representatives Monday.
New Report Details Severe Income Gap Amid Economic Growth in Cambridge
As Cambridge’s innovation sector experiences rapid growth, a stark income gap has deepened for the city’s most vulnerable residents, according to a new report released earlier this month by the Cambridge Community Foundation.
As Momentum Builds For PILOT Reform, Local Advocates Host Town Hall
Massachusetts Action for PILOT, a coalition of local advocacy groups focused on reforming PILOT, invited elected officials and residents to discuss H. 3080 and H.D. 2068, the two bills intended to reform PILOT.
A ‘Financial Vaccine’: Cambridge Launches Guaranteed Income Pilot Program
Cambridge will pilot a guaranteed income program, doling out $500 no-strings-attached monthly payments to 120 eligible, low-income families for 18 months starting in August.
Missing Middle Housing Petition Seeks To Allow for More Multi-Family Housing Construction in Cambridge
A new affordable housing proposal, titled the "Missing Middle Housing Petition,” has ignited debate over the role of single-family homes in Cambridge.
Cambridge Mayor Sumbul Siddiqui Endorses Andrea Campbell for Boston Mayor
Cambridge Mayor Sumbul Siddiqui endorsed Boston City Councilor Andrea J. Campbell in her bid to become mayor of Boston on April 5, citing Campbell’s dedication to advancing equity.