Action will minimize vacancy in council representation for District One residents
(Boston, MA, Friday, January 21, 2022) Today, Senator and Boston City Councilor Lydia Edwards submitted her resignation to the Boston City Council, effective April 30, 2022.
Edwards is honoring the commitment she made during her successful Senate campaign to gracefully exit her council seat if she were to become a Senator while ensuring a smooth transition for residents of the council district.
Photo credit: Mike Freedberg
“Serving on Boston City Council has been an incredible honor, and I am thrilled that the candidates who have expressed interest in the District One city council seat reflect the diversity of the district,” said Edwards.
With the filing of Edwards’ resignation letter, the City Clerk may file an order with the city council calling for a special election to replace Edwards.The City Council could vote to approve the order as early as February 2, 2022. The order, if approved by the council, would outline the timing for the preliminary and final elections in accordance with the Boston City Charter.
State case-law specifies that an irrevocable resignation noticed for a future date is sufficient to trigger a legislative body’s special election procedures for filling a vacancy.
“As the residents of Charlestown, East Boston, and the North End continue to face extreme housing, development and recovery challenges during a pandemic, I believe the best thing I can do is represent them until they elect a new city councilor,” stated Edwards. “This process will minimize the amount of time the district is without representation on the council and will give voters more of an opportunity to hear from the candidates about their vision for the seat.”
As a City Councilor, Edwards led efforts to protect and expand Boston’s affordable housing stock, combat discrimination and further fair housing, expand paid leave for workers, modernize the city charter and budgetary process through ballot initiative, and remove state restrictions on Boston’s inclusionary development and linkage policies.
Edwards joins several legislators that have held local and state office simultaneously, including at least two Boston city councilors and multiple city councilors across the Commonwealth, but will do so only for this interim period until April 30th. During such time, her office will continue to respond to constituent matters from parking tickets to policy reforms.
Related:
RecentlyHeard: January 21, 2022, Lydia Edwards Sworn in as State Senator
Universal Hub: Friday, January 21, 2022, 12 p.m. What if Lydia Edwards doesn’t want to leave her city-council seat?
WGBH: January 20, 2022: Now a state senator, Edwards’ plans to leave Boston City Council are unclear
