GREENFIELD — Ringing in a new year and three new municipal leaders, city councilors voted unanimously to reelect Lora Wondolowski as City Council president and John Garrett as vice president at the council’s reorganization meeting Tuesday night.
The meeting preceded a swearing-in of 12 newly elected or reelected city officials, including three new city councilors: Precinct 7 Councilor Sarah Bolduc, Precinct 9 Councilor Max Webbe and At-Large Councilor Maisie Sibbison-Alves.
After she motioned to nominate Wondolowski to remain council president, Precinct 1 City Councilor Katherine Golub commended the council leader for her humility, respect and unwavering work ethic. She noted that Wondolowski served not only as council president but also as chair of the Community Relations Committee.
“As I was reflecting on making this nomination, there were a few things that I thought about. One is Councilor Wondolowski’s ability to build rapport with and collaborate really respectfully with people across almost all flavors of the political spectrum and to really build relationships. … I’m really grateful for Councilor Wondolowski’s willingness to work so hard,” Golub said. “I’m so grateful for the leadership and maturity, the seasoned nature, attitude and presence that she brings to this role. I’m just really grateful that she’s willing to do it again.”
Prior to the council’s unanimous vote, Wondolowski, who said she was moved by Golub’s kind words and nomination, expressed excitement to continue serving and said she hopes to continue collaborating with her constituents and fellow councilors while elevating the voices of those she serves.
“I’ve really enjoyed it this last year, and I think it’s because of the opportunity to work with everybody and bring my strong belief in collaboration and being able to hear from different folks. It’s just an honor to serve everybody and I really want to continue to bring out everybody’s voices,” Wondolowski said. “I really believe in [determining], how do we disagree agreeably. … I’m also really looking forward to working with all the new councilors. We have a really great group and everybody brings different perspectives;
we need that in a democracy.”
Following Wondolowski’s reappointment as president, Precinct 4 City Councilor John Bottomley moved to nominate Garrett to continue in the role of vice president.
Explaining his nomination, Bottomley said that Garrett, similar to Wondolowski, conducts his work with humility, respect for his fellow councilors and honesty. At-Large Councilor Wahab Minhas and Wondolowski also spoke to Garrett’s work on the council, commending the vice president for his professionalism, hard work and rapport with his colleagues.
“John and I have disagreed 1,010 times, but I think it’s really important everyone understand that somebody can be sincere and still disagree with you. You can understand that someone has a difference of opinion, but is genuine in their beliefs,” Minhas said. “John is somebody who is like that, and he’s a professional, which I really like. … John brings a lot to the table, and I really like [his] humor and [his] kindness.”
Garrett responded to his nomination by thanking his fellow councilors for their remarks and stating that service to the city is a cause greater than any difference of opinion that might exist between councilors.
“It is a genuine honor to serve with everyone again. … [Something] I was really struck by this evening is the oath that people who just got reelected just swore. The word ‘honor’ comes to mind and the word ‘trust.’ The obligation and duty that we all share, it’s sacred. I view this position as helping to facilitate us all achieving our sacred duty of serving people in Greenfield no matter what,” Garrett said. “We are all here — I know this at the bottom of my heart — for the betterment of this city, because we care about it. We live here, we are committed to this place, and the more that we can work together and hear each other, the more that we’ll be able to do good for this city. I view this as a sacred trust.”
As City Clerk Kathy Scott swore in newly elected and reelected officials, Wondolowski was joined by At-Large City Councilor Sara Brown, Precinct 5 City Councilor Marianne Bullock, Precinct 6 City Councilor Patricia Williams, Webbe, Sibbison-Alves, Bolduc, Board of Assessors Chair Jim Geisman, Board of Assessors member Jeremy Ebersole, Elector Under the Will of Oliver Smith Elizabeth Quirk, and School Committee members Jeffrey Diteman and Elizabeth DeNeeve.
The newly elected city councilors replaced Councilors Derek Helie (Precinct 9), William “Wid” Perry (Precinct 7) and At-Large Councilor Michael Terounzo, who said goodbye to their fellow councilors and thanked their supporters, families and colleagues at their final City Council meeting in December.
“I want to thank all of my fellow councilors for the pleasure of serving with you. Each of you have brought unique talents and individual perspectives and opinions to the table and I’ve learned from each and every one of you,” Perry said. “Thanks to the mayor and her staff for working so graciously, even when we disagreed. Thanks to the many volunteers who served on the various boards, commissions and committees. You do all the work for us.”
Helie, at the December meeting, expressed similar gratitude for those he worked with and encouraged the next wave of councilors to keep him in mind while they make decisions.
“Thanks to all the councilors for all the hard work you put in. I’d like to thank everybody here, because as you know, we might have varying opinions on multiple topics, but I respect you all very much and I do appreciate all your hard work,” Helie said.
Terounzo also thanked his supporters, family members and fellow councilors before asking that the councilors, in the future, keep their constituents in mind with every decision they make and practice responsible municipal spending that best serves the city’s needs.
“I hope that folks going forward take [municipal spending] just as seriously. It is important to all of us, old and young, how the funding gets spent in this city,” Terounzo said. “Listen to your constituents [and] make decisions that are based on what is going to be, not for what you perceive to be, for the greater good.”