Somerville politics Archives - Cambridge

Political notes: Voting record evidence answers allegations; Barber’s big endorsements; Lander flips three (updated)

by Marc Levy August 6, 2026

MacKay voting record evidence answers allegations, a Decker birthday party fundraiser, three officials flip to Lander and Barber scores an endorsement from the state senator she seeks to replace.

NEWS

Political notes: Three debates on one day, housing town hall and a candidate withdrawal (updated)

by Marc Levy July 29, 2026

Nine candidates running to represent Somerville, Cambridge, Medford and Winchester gather under roof, Hopcroft withdraws and more from the campaign trail.

NEWS

Vote approves grant to put body-worn cameras on Somerville police officers

by Marc Levy July 28, 2026

Much of the opposition has been about the financial demands of the devices and lack of a police oversight body that had been promised for several years.

OPINION

Somerville’s mayor is forcing a special council meeting to vote on body-worn cameras

by Chris Dwan July 27, 2026

We will never know what we might have accomplished in the first part of 2026 had the mayor read the room and set aside the issue of body-worn cameras for police.

NEWS

Political notes: Boston mayor kicks off Cambridge canvass; McLaughlin’s ‘Good Will’ ad

by Marc Levy July 22, 2026

Michelle Wu makes it across the river for Daniel Lander, her former aide, and there's candidate news about Matt McLaughlin, Christine Barber, Will Brownsberger, Mike Connolly, Ben Ewen-Campen and Will Mbah.

NEWS

With a deadline near on a grant for body-worn police cameras, Somerville’s mayor calls council back for a hearing

by Marc Levy July 16, 2026

There’s a summer deadline on whether to equip Somerville police with body-worn cameras, an issue bouncing around council and committee meetings for months.

OPINION

A long meeting of Somerville’s City Council on police cameras, Inner Belt development and Disability Pride

by Chris Dwan July 13, 2026

The Somerville City Council had another exhausting meeting last week – a total of more than five grueling hours covering a variety of topics.

NEWS

Citing budget cuts and no action on oversight, a Somerville committee goes 4-1 against officer cameras (corrected)

by Marc Levy July 7, 2026

The possibility of body-worn cameras on Somerville police officers isn’t so much working its way forward as it is lurching toward a decision a little backward and upside-down.

OPINION

Somerville’s budget (2026 edition): Wrapping up a season with symbolic resolutions and symbolic ‘no’ votes

by Chris Dwan June 29, 2026

After approving a horribly constrained $394 million budget, the council went on to dish out a bit over $12 million in “free cash.”

OPINION

Somerville’s budget details (2026 edition): It’s Cut Night, when the cuts have been coming for months

by Chris Dwan June 23, 2026

With “cut night” starting at 6 p.m., the end is approaching rapidly for the 2027 fiscal year budget process in Somerville.