Newly Elected Council Chooses Leadership

The New Britain City Council, at the first meeting since the 2023 election, elected and named its key leaders for the next two year term.

Ward 5 Council member, Alderperson Francisco Santiago (D-5) was elected as the Council’s President Pro Tempore, which, under the city Charter is essentially the deputy mayor. Ald. Santiago is a Democrat, selected to the top office in the Council, since the Democrats won an 8 to 7 majority in the recently held election.

Democrats choose, as their caucus Majority Leader, Ward 4 Alderperson John McNamara (D-4). McNamara, in his first term on the Council, but a seasoned figure in New Britain politics, now leads the Democrats’ Council caucus.

As Assistant Majority Leader, Democrats chose Ward 3 Alderperson Iris Sanchez (D-4).

Republicans chose, as their Minority Leader, Ward 4 Alderperson Robert Smedley. Smedley had been the President Pro Tempore under the previous Republican-controlled Council term.

The Republicans’ Assistant Minority Leader is Ward 1 Republican Alderperson Sharon Beloin-Saavedra (R-1), who returned to the Council, after not being on it in the previous term.

Luz Osuba was chosen to be the Council’s Clerk of Committees. Osuba had been a Democratic Council candidate in Ward 5, but was not elected.

Editor’s note: John McNamara is a contributing writer for the New Britain Progressive, but was not an author of this article.

The New Britain Progressive, a publication of the New Britain Independent Newspaper, Inc. is free to read and community supported. http://newbritainprogressive.com. Please feel free to help the New Britain Progressive with a donation, and you are invited to purchase advertisements in the New Britain Progressive. If you would like to submit an event for inclusion in the New Britain Progressive weekly events articles, or would like to update something already listed on the New Britain Progressive, feel free to visit this web page.