The 2012 Boston City Council Inauguration ceremony was held today at Faneuil Hall.
For the North End / Waterfront, East Boston & Charlestown, Councilor Sal LaMattina starts his 6th year representing District 1 after running unopposed in the November 2011 election. Councilors-At-Large representing the entire city include Felix Arroyo, John Connolly, Stephen Murphy and Ayanna Pressley. The other district councilors are Bill Linehan (District 2), Frank Baker (3), Charles Yancey (4), Rob Consalvo (5), Matt O’Malley (6), Tito Jackson (7), Michael Ross (8) and Mark Ciommo (9).
Nearly all of the councilors are returning after the November 2011 election. The only new councilor is Frank Baker for District 3, replacing Maureen Feeney who led the inauguration ceremony as the recently appointed City Clerk. Each city councilor serves for a term of 2 years.
Mayor Thomas M. Menino stole the show at one point in the ceremony. As he started to administer the Oath of Office, the councilors started to stand up. To an amused audience, the Mayor told them to immediately sit down because he did not tell them to stand yet.
The invocation was given by Father Jack Ahern, Pastor of Holy Family of St. Peter’s and a benediction was given by Minister Don Mohammed, Nation of Islam. Singing the National Anthem and God Bless America was Dana Whiteside with music by the Boston Latin Bass Quintet.
Several State Representatives, including the House Speaker Robert DeLeo and the 3rd Suffolk District Rep. Aaron Michlewitz, attended the inauguration. After the ceremony, councilors and friends gathered at City Hall for a reception before the first City Council meeting of the year.
At its first 2012 meeting, councilors reappointed Stephen Murphy as President of the City Council for a second year. Councilor LaMattina was also appointed head of a new committee to expand gaming in Boston.
Congratulations Sal. Keep up the fine work.
is sal going to come up with any more revolutionary ideas like handing out brooms to combat the trash in north end streets?
@ne rez….for the record the person who came up with that atupid idea was the new chairman of the NEWRA clean streets committee. Sal just supported the new idea as any politician would have done. why not grow a backbone and use your real name and enlighten the rest of us with YOUR brilliant ideas to improve the neighborhood instead of criticizing EVERYTHING
@joyce s. based on all the trash still littering north end streets, i have every right to be critical of our handsomely paid representative in city hall and about what he is or is not doing about the problem. the north end streets are absolutely filthy. also, if you want some basic ideas that will work, here are a couple: (1) make recycling mandatory and enforce it (75% of trash is recycle). (2) fine people $1,000 for allowing their pet to poop on the sidewalk (or for putting the poop in the bag, which they then leave on the sidewalk or in the street. trust me, joyce s., i am on your side, but we pay too much to live in some of the conditions in this neighborhood. remember, the largest employer in boston is the city, so they should be doing more than they are doing now.