City Council Approves petition to avoid New Year’s Day inauguration

By Tara Nguyen

Boston City Council approved a home-rule petition on Wednesday to no longer begin elected terms on the first Monday of January. This ruling would avoid what happened this year, where City council members and city staff gathered on New Year’s Day to mark the beginning of the municipal year and inaugurate its newest members. 

Pending approval from the state Legislature, this would mean elected officials’ terms will end at 10 a.m. on the first weekday after the second of January following the municipal election. 

This move came from concerns over the pressure the inauguration puts on local first responders to staff the event as it occurred only a few hours after New Years Eve festivities. 

“That’s too great of a strain to put on Boston public safety professionals. In other years, inaugurations happen as late as Jan. 7. This home-rule petition solves for both problems, updating a centuries-old document with an easy fix that will ensure that this body gets to work earlier by moving inauguration to happen between Jan. 3 and 5, which is more in line with federal standards and should increase civic engagement,” Councilor Brian Worrell who sponsored the docket. 

In terms of opposition, Councilor Ed Flynn and Erin Murphy were the only two to vote against the petition. Flynn argued that he and other members of the council are obligated to uphold their duties at all times, including holidays. 

Murphy said that having inaugurations falling on the same day as New Years helps aid civic engagement, as it allows people to attend since they would not have to take time off work. Murphy also argued that the inaugurations do not land on the day of the holiday often enough for there to be a need for change.