New Britain City Council Chooses Leadership, Selects Reyes for Board of Education

The newly elected New Britain City Council held its first meeting with new Mayor Bobby Sanchez presiding over his first Council meeting after being elected.

As the first meeting of the new term, this first item of business was the election and announcement of new Council leadership.

Returning in his role as President Pro-Tempore of the Council, Ald Francisco Santiago (D-5) was re-elected to the position that is essentially the city’s deputy mayor.

Ald Santiago announced the caucus leadership for the Democratic Council majority, ten of the fifteen Council members.

In the position of Majority Leader, Council Democrats once again selected Ald John McNamara (D-4).

Council Democrats selected Ald Wilma Barbosa (D-2) as Assistant Majority Leader, and Ald Luz Ortiz-Luna (D-4) as Assistant Majority Whip.

Ald Robert Smedley (R-4) announced the Council Republicans’ caucus leadership. Ald Smedley will continue in his past role as the Minority Leader for the Republicans.

Smedley also announced that Ald Matthew Malinowski (R-5) is the Council’s Assistant Minority Leader.

In other business, the Council appointed former Council member Richard Reyes to a vacancy on the Board of Education.

The Council also voted to again appoint Shayne Livingston to be its Clerk of Committees.

In addition, the Council approved its standing rules, committee assignments of Council members and assignments of Council members as liaisons to various city boards and departments.