City Council — January 21, 2026

The New Bedford City Council and School Committee convened a joint session, chaired by Mayor Jon Mitchell, to fill a vacancy on the School Committee following the passing of Russell Oliveira. This was the second meeting for this purpose, as a previous session on October 7th had ended without a candidate securing the required nine votes. The meeting began with the City Clerk reading a letter from candidate Henry Busquet, who withdrew his name from consideration, leaving three nominees: Lee Blake, Marcus Coward, and Brad Markey.

A roll call vote was immediately conducted. Brad Markey was elected to the School Committee, securing exactly nine votes, while Marcus Coward received eight. Following the announcement of the results, Mr. Markey, who was present, was sworn into office by the City Clerk. Before the meeting adjourned, Councillor Brian K. Gomes expressed his deep dissatisfaction with the contentious nature of the selection process, stating that it had created a division within the community and was unfair to the candidates involved. The meeting was then adjourned by a unanimous voice vote.

AI-generated summary. May contain errors. Watch the video to verify.