This document is the agenda and accompanying orders for the City of Quincy City Council Meeting scheduled for Monday, February 2, 2026, held at the Great Hall, Historic City Hall, 1305 Hancock Street, Quincy, MA.
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The Council proposes amending its rules to formally establish structured public participation procedures, including: - A dedicated public comment period at every meeting - Priority given to Quincy residents to speak first - A 3-minute time limit per speaker, with a 20-minute total cap - Content-neutral enforcement by the Council President - Public comment placed early in the meeting agenda
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A central theme of the meeting is reversing salary increases for the Mayor and City Councillors that were passed in 2024 without public hearings or community input:
| Order | Subject | Action | |-------|---------|--------| | 2026-013 / 2026-029 | Mayor's Raise | Repeal Ordinance 2024-055; return salary from $285,000 to $150,943 | | 2026-014 / 2026-030 | Council's Raise | Repeal Ordinance 2024-056; return salary from $44,500 to $29,700 (effective January 3, 2028, due to state law) | | 2026-015 / 2026-031 | Annual CPI-Based Raises | Repeal Ordinance 2024-090; eliminate automatic CPI-linked annual raises for both Mayor and Councillors |
Background: The raises were highly controversial — residents organized petitions gathering over 13,000 signatures against the Mayor's raise and 4,642 signatures against the Council's raise. The State Ethics Commission raised conflict-of-interest concerns, leading to temporary deferrals. The November 2025 elections brought in a new Council majority that campaigned on reversing these raises. All repeal orders call for initiating a new, data-driven, publicly inclusive process to determine fair compensation.
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The Council orders the City Solicitor to appear and answer questions about: - How the 2025 administrative salary deferrals were handled - Whether the Council's raise can be administratively deferred again for the current 2026–2027 term
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The Council orders a comprehensive written report within 30 days on the City-owned Munroe Building (1227–1259 Hancock Street), including: - All current tenants, lease terms, and rent details - Vacant space and any rent arrears - Total revenue, operating costs, and net fiscal impact - A public Council oversight meeting within 30 days of the report
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The Council directs a comprehensive review of short-term rental (e.g., Airbnb-type) regulations, citing: - Negative impacts on neighbourhood quality of life, parking, and safety - Reduction in long-term housing availability - Ongoing enforcement complaints and recent court litigation
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The Council adopts a resolution committing to respectful, dignified communication in all public meetings — promoting listening, curiosity, and constructive problem-solving while rejecting contemptuous speech.
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The Council urges the Massachusetts General Court to pass House Bill H.91 and Senate Bill S.41, which would modernise funding for community media programming, benefiting providers like Quincy Access Television (QATV).
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The Council requests a report from the Administration identifying: - The most common reasons residents contact or visit City Hall - Which services can be completed online vs. in-person - Opportunities to expand digital services while ensuring ADA compliance, language access, and digital inclusion for all residents
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The Council requests that the Commissioner and Superintendent of Public Works and the Director of Emergency Management appear at the February 23, 2026 meeting to brief the Council on the City's response to the January 24–27, 2026 winter storm, covering: - Snow and ice operation planning and management - Staffing, contractor coordination, and communication systems - Training protocols and lessons learned from the storm
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The February 2, 2026 City Council meeting reflects a newly elected Council majority focused on: - Accountability and transparency — reversing controversial pay raises and demanding financial disclosures - Community engagement — formalising public participation and initiating inclusive policy processes - Modernisation and efficiency — expanding digital services and supporting community media funding - Public safety and oversight — reviewing emergency storm response and short-term rental enforcement