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Medford voters set to vote for City Council, School Committee, new charter amid zoning debate and federal actions

By Evan Vezmar and Julian Glickman | November 4

With elections for the Medford City Council and School Committee approaching on Nov. 4, candidates are offering distinct visions for the city’s future. Those endorsed by “Our Revolution Medford” hope to defend and expand their progressive supermajorities on both bodies, while independent candidates are pushing for a more moderate agenda. 

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Local

Somerville divestment question to appear on ballot following challenge to Election Commission

By Alexandra Tse | November 4

The Somerville Election Commission voted on Oct. 6 to certify more than 8,000 voter signatures in support of a nonbinding advisory ballot measure asking whether the city should end business with companies linked to Israel, clearing the way for the question to appear on the November ballot. 

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Local

Mayor Lungo-Koehn vetoes divestment ordinance, drawing backlash from advocates

By Yasmin Benitez | November 4

Medford Mayor Breanna Lungo-Koehn vetoed an ordinance on Oct. 9 that would have required the city to divest from entities operating contrary to human rights standards, a move that disappointed proponents of the measure.

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Local

Candidates running for Somerville City Council discuss their platforms

By Alex Boyle, Lucas Berman and Alexandra Tse | November 3

The Daily is conducting interviews with City Council candidates ahead of the municipal election on Nov. 4 where residents will be able to choose up to four candidates. This story will be updated with additional interviews as they are completed. All interviews have been edited for length and clarity.

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Local

Here’s what incumbent Medford City Council candidates have to say about their campaign goals

By Ananya Shah, Evan Vezmar and Dariush Raissi | November 3

The Daily is conducting interviews with incumbent City Council candidates ahead of the municipal election on Nov. 4 where residents will be able to choose up to seven candidates. This story will be updated with additional interviews as they are completed. All interviews have been edited for length and clarity.  

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Local

Here’s what non-incumbent Medford City Council candidates have to say about their campaign goals

By Estelle Anderson, Alex Boyle, Tvisha Goel, Ananya Shah, Evan Vezmar, Dariush Raissi and Julian Glickman | November 3

The Daily is conducting interviews with City Council candidates ahead of the municipal election on Nov. 4 where residents will be able to choose up to seven candidates. This story will be updated with additional interviews as they are completed. All interviews have been edited for length and clarity.  

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Local

Medford School Committee candidates share platforms

By Arinze Ezem-Osakwe, Julian Glickman and Jessica Michael | October 29

The Daily is conducting interviews with Medford School Committee candidates ahead of the municipal election on Nov. 4 where residents will be able to choose up to six candidates. This story will be updated with additional interviews as they are completed. All interviews have been edited for length and clarity.

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Local

Medford residents to vote on new city charter in November

By Evan Vezmar | October 23

Medford residents will vote on a new city charter during the Nov. 4 election after the Massachusetts state legislature voted to approve, and Governor Maura Healey signed, the charter on Sept. 19. The charter, which establishes the city’s government, was last changed in 1986 and was only two pages long.

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Local

Ballantyne, pushed out of mayoral election, leaves November race to Wilson and Burnley Jr.

By Matthew Sage and Josh Litvak | October 21

On Sept. 19, Somerville residents voted to deny incumbent Mayor Katjana Ballantyne another chance to hold onto the city’s top executive position, signaling widespread disapproval of her four-year tenure. 

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Local

Davis Square Neighborhood Council hosts learning session on development, zoning and transparency

By Jake Ren | October 16

The Davis Square Neighborhood Council hosted a co-learning session in the Joyce Cummings Center on Monday for community members to educate each other on the inner workings of development and zoning in Davis Square and the leverage residents have over such changes.  

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Local

Somerville School Committee candidates share their platforms

By Anika Parr and Alexandra Tse | October 14

The Daily is interviewing candidates for the Somerville School Committee before the municipal election on Nov. 4. All interviews are edited for length and clarity.

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Local

Somerville residents air grievances on Davis Square public safety, homelessness at annual meeting

By Anika Parr | October 10

The city of Somerville hosted a meeting on Oct. 6 to discuss public safety and homelessness in the Davis Square and Seven Hills area. Residents continued to express concerns and frustrations despite city officials outlining steps they have taken to address the issue.

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Local

New 'Eat Out in East' initiative aims to support local businesses in East Somerville amid increased ICE activity

By Angela Palma and Josué Pérez | October 9

Eat Out in East, a new initiative led by Somerville Ward 1 City Councilor Matthew McLaughlin, intends to get residents to support local businesses — many of which are immigrant-owned — in East Somerville. The program comes amid increased activity from Immigration and Customs Enforcement in Massachusetts, particularly in Somerville.

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Local

Some Medford residents experienced issues at polling stations during September preliminary election

By Evan Vezmar | October 9

During the Sept. 16 preliminary elections for Medford City Council, multiple Medford residents were told that they were no longer active voters on the voter roll. Massachusetts law requires cities to send a census every January, requiring all registered voters to confirm that their place of residence is accurate, with voters only being marked as active voters after the Medford Elections Commission receives the census. However, when some voters went to the polls in September, they were told they were inactive, despite having mailed the census.

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Local

Medford School Committee reviews policy for generative AI use in classrooms

By Carly Cohen | October 9

The Medford School Committee approved the first reading of a new policy, “Use of Generative AI in Medford Public Schools,” on Sept. 22. Though the policy still must pass a second reading before it is formally adopted, the committee voted to include it in the school handbooks, offering guidance on how teachers and students can choose to responsibly use artificial intelligence while the committee takes time to adopt the policy.

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Local

Upcoming election events in Medford and Somerville

By Josué Pérez | October 8

With just 27 days left before the municipal elections in Medford and Somerville, several events have been organized to give candidates for city council, School Committee and mayor an opportunity to share their platform with prospective voters and face off against competing candidates.

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Local

Somerville to decide on mayoral term extension and major charter overhaul in November

By Anika Parr and Theo Weller | October 7

Two questions will appear on Somerville’s Nov. 4 general election ballot: one proposing to extend the mayoral term from two years to four, and the other proposing updates to the city charter, which has remained largely unchanged since 1899.

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Local

Somerville City Council delays ballot mailer information statute ahead of November election

By Niki Wang and Alexandra Tse | October 6

On Nov. 4, Somerville residents will decide whether or not to adopt the city’s first new charter in more than a century and whether to lengthen the mayor’s term from two to four years. However, voters will not receive mailed explanations of the ballot questions after the City Council postponed adopting a state statute that would have required it.

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Local

Medford community calls for transparency on Tufts’ financial contributions to city

By Ananya Shah and Julian Glickman | October 2

Efforts to access a Payment In Lieu Of Taxes agreement between Tufts and Medford have reignited discussions over the university’s role in its surrounding communities. Tufts, which is exempt from property taxes on most of its Medford/Somerville campus due to the Dover Amendment, a Massachusetts law that negotiates agreements with the two cities to make voluntary financial contributions as a substitute for taxes.

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Local

Medford to update signage and street design via wayfinding survey

By Evan Vezmar | September 26

Medford is planning a citywide update to its wayfinding — the system of signs, markers and design elements that help guide people through an area — to improve navigation and highlight local landmarks.

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