Goodbye Board of Aldermen, welcome Somerville City Council

The City of Somerville’s legislative body will officially become the Somerville City Council (formerly the Board of Alderman) on January 31, 2019. The name change was approved when Gov. Charlie Baker signed a home rule petition on January 1 requesting the switch to City Council.

“I am very happy not to be called an elder man anymore,” said City Council President Katjana Ballantyne.

The process to switch from Board of Aldermen to City Council began in early 2018 when Councilor-at-Large Bill White submitted a request that the City get permission (through a home rule petition) from the state to change the name of the legislative body in the City charter.

“I am glad that the state approved the home rule petition that I had introduced last year and that on February 1, I will be a City Councilor-at-Large,” said White. “Our work certainly won’t change, but I thought it was important that we adopt a modern and inclusive name for the legislative body of our City.”

Individuals with disabilities who need auxiliary aids and services for effective communication, written materials in alternative formats, or reasonable modifications in policies and procedures, in order to access the programs and activities of the City of Somerville or to attend meetings, should contact should contact Nency Salamoun, at 617-625-6600 x2323 or NSalamoun@somervillema.gov.