Spicer Confronts City Council Over 'Overt Racism, Sexism'

FRAMINGHAM, MA — The four-year adversarial relationship between Mayor Yvonne Spicer and the City Council came to a point Tuesday in a tense exchange during Spicer's farewell speech to Councilors.

Spicer's farewell address to Councilors came at the beginning of the meeting, which was also the last for members Robert Case and Margareth Shepard. Spicer began by acknowledging that she knew she would face challenges, but didn't expect to clash with the City Council so much.

"From the moment I was sworn in, I knew I would have challenges," she said. "One of the things I didn't anticipate is the blatant, overt racism and sexism that I've had to endure at the hands of some members of this Council."

At that, Council Chair George King Jr. brought down his gavel, warning Spicer not to insult Councilors further, or he would adjourn the meeting.

"You are not going to sit here in your farewell address and start taking shots at individual Council members," King said.

Spicer proceeded to name a host of problems she's had over her first term. The Council has cut funding for some staff — most recently the human resource and economic development directors. It also took until 2021 for Spicer to hire the city's first diversity director. Spicer recounted that one Councilor told her the city didn't need a diversity director because Spicer, who is black, was in office.

Plenty more has gone on behind the scenes between the mayor and Councilors, with some incidents spilling into public view. Last November, text messages between Spicer and members of her staff revealed her dislike of several Councilors. In May, Spicer's assistant was caught on an open microphone calling District 4 Councilor Michael Cannon a "schmuck."

Before Spicer's defeat in the November election, Commonwealth Magazine dove into what happened over the first term that landed Spicer in second place in the September primary.

"The problems have either been the result of self-inflicted wounds from a novice politician who resisted calls for greater communication and collaboration with other officials, or the product of the determined efforts of Framingham’s 'old guard' to trip up the city’s new leader right out of the gate," the story said.

Councilors did respond to Spicer. The first was District 8 Councilor John Stefanini, who ran against Spicer in 2017 in the city's first mayoral contest. He's been a top critic of Spicer since he became a Councilor in 2019, but commended her for participating in government under the weight of criticism.

"Madame mayor, we've not always agreed, but we've agreed more than we've disagreed," he said. "Showing up in the arena, as you have done, is what it's about."

Mayor-elect Charlie Sisitsky will be inaugurated on Jan. 1 along with two new Councilors, Noval Alexander and Leora Mallach.

You can watch the mayor's address to the Council on the government channel.