Springfield City Council

The head of Springfield’s city council says she is not stepping down as both she and the city solicitor wait to hear from the State Ethics Commission. Tracye Whitfield has been under fire over apparent conflict of interest cases – some of which go back to 2021.

Months after taking her former workplace to court, a Springfield City Council member says the case has been settled, and that she's also happy to see changes being made.

Earlier this month, the head of Springfield’s City Council found herself at the center of a conflict of interest review/investigation, stemming from an agenda item the council voted on and approved. Because of undisclosed ties and other issues, the vote was considered “tainted,” and on Friday morning, it was rescinded.But, a new wave of alleged violations has now come to light, with some violations stretching back five years.

What started as a run-of-the-mill agenda item — one calling on the city to surrender an empty lot for effectively nothing — has become the Springfield City Council’s first controversy of the year, entangling the new council president in the process.

At the first regular council meeting of the year Monday, a new face as well as a returning, familiar one took their seats in the Springfield City Council chambers.A former council president who tried running for mayor is once again a councilor at large, while a new addition hopes to bring a new perspective to City Hall.

Springfield, Mass., has new leadership in its council chambers. Both the new president and vice president say they’re focusing on a few key issues this term, including the local economy.

For the first time in its history, Springfield’s City Council will be led by a Black woman. During its first gathering of the year, councilors officially picked Councilor at Large Tracye Whitfield to lead as president, succeeding Ward 2 Councilor Mike Fenton.

While an official selection won’t happen until January, the city council in Springfield, Mass. appears ready to be led by a Black woman for the first time in its history.

This week, Springfield, Mass., nearly became the biggest city in the state to ban the sale of various kratom products. The City Council’s already passed similar restrictions on synthetic cannabinoids or 'gas station weed,' but on the brink of banning synthetic kratom, a majority of councilors balked and tabled the matter amid issues raised in the council chambers.

With primaries fast approaching, voters in Springfield have until Friday to register for the city’s preliminary election. Residents got a chance to meet some of the candida