"Sometimes we refuse to be better" - Chicopee City Council rejects transparency proposals

By Jonathan Gerhardson on January 25, 2025. 

Chicopee, MA — City Councilor Tim Wagner introduced nine proposals at the Jan. 21 City Council meeting in Chicopee. Only one passed.

The 22-year-old told The Generative Adversarial News Network he was frustrated by what he saw as complacency among his colleagues and that the attitudes of the rest of the council toward his proposed reforms were indicative of his decision not to seek re-election later this year.

Wagner may be young, but as the son of former Massachusetts State Representative Joseph Wagner, he said he’s "seen how the sausage is made" in Hampden County politics.

"I promised the voters I would try to get stuff done. Those proposals were shot down," said Wagner.

"But that's just democracy," he added.

The rest of the council did get on board with an administrative change to how items are referred to the Committee of the Whole—a subcommittee of the Council made up of all its members—going forward, referrals to the Committee of the Whole will require a two-thirds vote by the council. This committee meets infrequently and is typically reserved for large topics that don’t fit neatly into the jurisdiction of any of the smaller subcommittees. It last met in Sept. 2024.

Two of Wagner’s failed proposals were focused on the city’s finances. The first would have invited the Financial Management Resources Bureau, part of the state’s Division of Local Services, to review the city’s financial policies and management structure. The Bureau previously conducted a review for the city in 2016.

“It’s not about making anyone look bad; it’s about looking at how we can improve and make sure we’re operating as efficiently as possible," said Wagner.

Other members of the council, such as Samuel Shumsky, didn’t think such a review was necessary.

"Our financial status is very, very good compared to other surrounding towns and communities. We have a double A minus bond rating, which is one of the highest around here," said Shumsky.

"I believe the only AAA is Somerville, if I remember correctly. Don’t quote me on that one," added Shumsky.

In 2023, there were 77 municipalities in Massachusetts with a AAA bond rating from Standard and Poor’s.

Another proposal that would have required the city to publish quarterly financial reports on its website was also rejected.

Council President Frank Laflamme said he did not think that was necessary.

"Well, the year-to-date budget . . . we got one on Friday," said Laflamme.

"I think what [Auditor Sharon Riley] is doing is enough for me. The report’s going to be there moving forward. So this, to me, is not needed at this time," said Laflamme.

Another of Wagner’s proposals would have made it city policy to upload all "backup materials" to the city’s website along with its meeting agendas.

"It's just a very common courtesy that other cities and towns do, and it allows our constituents to make better-informed decisions and to advocate for certain decisions that they’d like their elected officials to make," said Wagner.

Wagner pointed to the city’s appropriation of $60,000 "for securing a rundown facility [as] something that is entirely appropriate to be included in all of the materials that the public is allowed to see."

City Clerk Keith Rattell berated the council over this proposal.

“I think at times, certain city councilors go beyond what their job description is. Councilors, you approve zoning, you vote on licenses, you approve the budget, you can cut the budget, you make appointments, you pass car dealership licenses. You’re not in charge of administration. There can’t be 13 little mayors—mini mayors—running around telling department heads what to do," said Rattell.

”That’s the way it will continue until maybe I change things and if I change things it’s going to be less information, not more. And I talking about the packet of information that we put together for you, okay?" said Rattell.

Many cities in Massachusetts post supporting documents along with meeting agendas, including Holyoke, Springfield, Westfield, Greenfield locally, as well as Boston.

The Open Meeting Law requires that the minutes of a public body’s meetings contain “a list of documents and other exhibits used at the meeting.”

The Massachusetts Public Records Law strongly favors disclosure by creating a presumption that all governmental records are public records.

Another defeated proposal by Wagner would have limited the ability to anyone who is not a resident of Chicopee from addressing the council during the public comment segment of meetings. Many on the council pointed out that this would likely violate the First Amendment.

An order relating to recall elections in Chicopee was sent back to committee for further discussion, and another requesting that the state increase its budget for public works projects was withdrawn.