Goodbye Board of Aldermen, welcome City Council, as the current membership pushes for a change of name for its body of legislators.

By Jim Clark

After much recent discussion within the community and among civic leaders, a change in the name of Somerville’s legislative representatives from Board of Aldermen to City Council is most likely soon to be a done deal.

At the latest regular meeting of the Board of Aldermen, an order was put forward asking that the City Solicitor prepare a Home Rule Petition to make the name change official.

The suggested Home Rule Petition would amend the City Charter as follows: “Section 2 of the City Charter would be amended so that the words “board of aldermen” be changed to “city council.” Further, that thereafter in said City Charter, the term “city council” replace “board of aldermen” wherever it appears in said City Charter. Further, that wherever the term “alderman” appears, it be replaced by the term “city councilor” wherever it appears in said City Charter.”

Speaking in favor of the change, Alderman At-Large William A. White Jr. told the Board, “For the many years I’ve been on the Board folks have questioned where does the name Board of Aldermen come from, what does it mean.”

Alderman At-Large William A. White Jr. has been a vociferous proponent of changing the name of the civic governing body to City Council.

White reminded the Board that the term meant “elder men” or “elder statesmen” and that in this day and age it is hardly appropriate for this name to be continued in use.

“If we were today meeting to name the form of government that the city should have – it was a fresh start – would anyone come up with the name Board of Aldermen,” White asked. “I don’t think so.”

White pointed out that the name Board of Aldermen was an old English term, from English law. “There was a Board of Aldermen and then there was a Common Council for all municipalities,” said White. “When cities were formed in this country, especially in Massachusetts, the cities adopted the same model.”

“It became a relatively unwieldy way to run a city, even in the late 1800’s,” White continued. “So most communities around the turn of the century decided to go to one body.”

According to White, most communities took the name City Council, but some retained the term Board of Aldermen for the one municipal body, as Somerville did in 1890.

“Right next door in Boston when they made the switch, they went to City Council,” said White. “Right next door in Cambridge when they made the switch, they went to City Council. Other communities, like Somerville, kept the name, but as time went on they’ve changed them as well. Chelsea changed it to City Council. Newton just recently changed it to City Council. Everett changed it to City Council.”

White went on to point out that in England the name Board of Aldermen was abolished in 1972 under their Municipal Reform Act. They too changed to Council.

“So when you look across the spectrum of all communities, it seems appropriate to name it City Council,” White stated. “I think the time has come because in this community it’s not a majority of senior men who live here. The majority is women, and it is one of the youngest communities with a median age of 31.”

Virtually the entire Board signed on to the order and many voiced their support for the change at the meeting.

It was determined that the order should be referred to the Legislative Matters Committee for recommendation and review of the Home Rule Petition that the City Solicitor would prepare.

On February 15, the Legislative Matters Committee voted unanimously to approve the change of name from Board of Aldermen to City Council.  It will go before the full Board this week for a final vote to make it official.