Framingham Council Overturns Mayor's Veto Of CPA Ordinance

FRAMINGHAM, MA — The Framingham City Council has overridden the mayor's veto seeking to overturn a new ordinance governing the Community Preservation Act (CPA).

The Council voted 10-1 Tuesday to override with District 9 City Councilor Tracey Bryant the sole "no" vote. Mayor Yvonne Spicer vetoed the CPA ordinance on Feb. 19 due to a provision in the law giving the City Council power to appoint several members of a committee that will oversee CPA projects.

Spicer and City Solicitor Chris Petrini appeared before Council on Tuesday to argue their side. Spicer and Petrini said the City Charter gives the mayor the power to appoint members to almost every multiple member body, not the Council.

"I will sign this particular order tomorrow if one sentence gets changed in the ordinance, and I'm fully prepared to do that," Spicer told the Council Tuesday.

District 8 Councilor John Stefanini argued state law gives the Council the power to select the four at-large members of the CPA committee. The other five members of the CPA committee will come from the Housing Authority, Planning Board, Parks Commission, Conservation Commission and Historical Commission.

Stefanini highlighted that the Council wants to make sure the four at-large members represent the "demographic and geographic diversity" of Framingham.

This was Spicer's third veto of her first term, and the third override the Council has delivered. The last one was in September after the Council passed the apartment moratorium.

Related: Mayor Vetoes Framingham Community Preservation Act Ordinance