Brockton Government Roundup
Ordinance Committee Advances Landmark Form-Based Zoning Code; City Council Promotes Three Police Officers, Confirms School Police Appointments
Shoe City News
Hyper-local news from Brockton, the City of Champions
Week of Friday, June 05, 2026
The week’s most substantive government action came at the Ordinance Committee, which on consecutive nights — June 1 and June 2 — worked through two significant pieces of legislation: a sweeping form-based zoning code three years in the making, and a broadened ban on kratom and synthetic intoxicants that Councilor Jeffrey Thompson has been shepherding through successive revisions. At the same time, the City Council’s May 26 regular meeting confirmed a round of police promotions and school-police appointments, all by unanimous 11-0 votes. The School Committee met Tuesday, June 2, receiving a detailed curriculum overview and ratifying intergovernmental agreements for the district’s early-college partnerships. Mayor Moises M. Rodrigues, meanwhile, made two significant administrative appointments — a new Director of Economic Development and an interim Director of Planning — and the city issued a public apology and credit for a prematurely billed $40 refuse-rate increase. Here’s what happened:
City Council
Council Confirms Three Police Promotions 11-0 at May 26 Meeting
The Brockton City Council voted 11-0 on May 26 to approve the promotion of three Brockton Police Department officers, acting on a request from Police Chief Brenda I. Perez that had the concurrent endorsement of Mayor Moises M. Rodrigues. Lieutenant David Farrell was elevated to the rank of Captain; Sergeant Michael Livingston was promoted to Lieutenant; and Officer Thomas Delaney was promoted to Sergeant. Chief Perez told the council that all three were the top-ranked candidates on the promotional list and that she looked forward “to working with them in their new leadership role to help me and my command staff move this department forward.” Mayor Rodrigues echoed her remarks, calling the three “young, vibrant individuals who will work diligently to help move our department forward.” Councilor Jeff Charnel noted from the dais that he had worked with Lieutenant Farrell — now Captain — through the License Commission and called him “a great steward and a great friend.” The council clerk administered oaths of office at the meeting’s close. Councilor Winthrop Farwell Jr. moved reconsideration after each vote, a standard procedural step to lock in the result; reconsideration failed in each instance.
Council Confirms Four School Police Officers 11-0
At the same May 26 meeting, the council confirmed the reappointment of Alicia Fernandez of Ford Street, Brockton, as a special school police officer, and confirmed the new appointments of Jordan McDonald of Madrid Square, Jason Perez of Sycamore Avenue, and Jasmine Rosa of Manley Street, West Bridgewater, as special school police officers — all on 11-0 roll-call votes taken under suspension of the rules. All four appointments originated as a request from Chief Perez. The council also referred to the Finance Committee two appointments to the Commission on Human Rights: Shannon Cartel of Ellsworth Street to a three-year term ending May 2029, and Jacob Matthews of East Nelson Street to the same term.
Ordinance Committee
Kratom and Synthetic-Drug Ban Broadened, Returned to Committee for Final Review
The Ordinance Committee, chaired by Councilor Shirley R. Asack, opened its June 1 session with a revised version of an ordinance that began as a Kratom prohibition and has since been substantially widened in scope. Councilor Jeffrey A. Thompson, who sponsored the measure and presented it to the committee, explained that the revised ordinance now covers “synthetically derived cannabinoids and unregulated, novel intoxicating products” — a change in name and purpose designed to capture the full range of dangerous synthetic products being sold in Brockton stores, not only Kratom in its various forms. The council’s legislative counsel read the amendments into the record: the ordinance adds specific definitions for synthetically derived Kratom, synthetically derived cannabinoids, and unregulated novel intoxicating products; establishes a moratorium on their distribution or sale for human consumption; explicitly carves out licensed recreational and medicinal marijuana; and sets enforcement at a $1,000 fine for a first violation, rising to a $1,000 fine plus suspension of any Board of Health permits — including tobacco retail licenses — for a second violation within 36 months.
Thompson told the committee that the city lacks the laboratory capacity to distinguish low-dose natural Kratom from high-potency synthetics in the field — sellers, he said, are “deceptive in their packaging” — so a blanket moratorium covering all forms was the most practical enforcement path. He also noted that multiple Kratom-related bills are moving through the state legislature and said the city’s moratorium is modeled on the approach Brockton took with recreational marijuana: hold until the state provides a regulatory framework, then calibrate the local ordinance accordingly. Also present at the June 1 hearing were Commissioner of Health and Human Services Wesley Macola, Inspectional Services designee Jasmine Bradshaw, and Director of Social Services. Present on the committee alongside Chair Asack were Councilors Jeffrey A. Thompson, Carla DaRosa, Philip E. Griffin, and David C. Teixeira.
Form-Based Zoning Code for Four Neighborhoods Gets First Formal Airing
The Ordinance Committee’s June 2 session was devoted entirely to the city’s proposed form-based zoning code — described by Interim Director of Planning and Community Development Elijah Romulus as “three years of careful development” and “democracy in action.” Romulus, who was appointed to his interim role just days earlier, opened the presentation by stressing that the code is targeted, not citywide: it applies to four specific sub-areas — Montello, the Troutbrook/downtown corridor, Lovett Brook near Boston Medical South, and Campello — each of which already has a neighborhood plan that residents shaped through at least four rounds of public engagement.
Emily Innes of Innes Land Strategies Group, the city’s consultant on the project, walked the committee through the structure of three companion documents: a legally formatted version to be uploaded to the Municode database if adopted; a more graphically oriented illustrative code for day-to-day use by planners and applicants; and neighborhood-specific chapters for each of the four sub-areas. Inis noted that while use variances would still go through the Zoning Board of Appeals, decisions about building form and design — setbacks, massing, facade requirements — would shift to the Planning Board, streamlining the process for developers. Romulus argued that the code modernizes a zoning framework he called “heavily car-centric and biased towards single-family residential use” and creates the conditions for mixed-use development at the intersection of residential and commercial activity. Nine letters of recommendation from city staff, business owners, and developers were submitted into the record. The committee did not vote at the June 2 meeting; the item is expected to continue through the ordinance process before going to the full council.
School Committee
Bid Review Subcommittee Ratifies Early-College Partnership Agreements
The School Committee’s Bid Review Subcommittee met at 5:30 p.m. on June 2 at the George Romm Little Theater at Brockton High School and voted to authorize intergovernmental agreements for the district’s Early College and Dual Enrollment program for school year 2025-26. The four partner institutions and contracted amounts are: Bridgewater State University at $150,000; Massasoit Community College at $50,000; University of Massachusetts Dartmouth at $125,000; and Quincy College at $450,000 — a combined authorized total of $775,000. The vote followed a pointed exchange in which subcommittee members pressed presenter Sarah Butler on whether the committee was approving contract ceilings or actual expenditures; Butler acknowledged she did not have the actuals on hand and agreed to pull them and report back, but emphasized the vote was on the contracts themselves as required by MGL Chapter 40, Section 4A. School Committee Member Claudio Gomes asked whether the committee would need to vote again for the 2026-27 agreements; Butler confirmed it would. The motion passed on a roll-call vote with School Committee Members Stephen V. Pina, Tim Sullivan, and Claudio Gomes all voting yes, with Tony Rodrigues, who chaired the subcommittee, also voting in the affirmative.
Full School Committee Receives Curriculum Overview; Public Comment Honors WWII Memoir
The full School Committee convened at approximately 7:10 p.m. on June 2, with all members present: Sandra Centeio, Ana Oliver, Tony Rodrigues, Joyce Asack, Stephen V. Pina, Claudio Gomes, and Tim Sullivan. The evening’s main presentation came from Dr. Cavin Spaulding, the district’s curriculum director, who offered the Curriculum Subcommittee — which had met earlier that afternoon — and the full committee a sweeping overview of instructional materials across grade bands Pre-K through 12. Spaulding described the district’s approach as “autonomy with guardrails,” meaning teachers retain professional discretion within district-wide curriculum frameworks aligned to the Massachusetts DESE standards. He noted that many of the district’s high-quality instructional materials were adopted within the last five years, which means contracts with publishers are beginning to expire, and that he and Superintendent Dr. Priya Tahiliani have been mapping out a multi-year curriculum review and renewal schedule with financial implications to be brought before the committee in a future session.
During the hearing of visitors, a resident identified as Belinda — a third-generation descendant of a Cape Verdean immigrant who settled in Brockton in 1904 — addressed the committee with an extended reading from her late father’s World War II memoir, which she said she had only recently found the courage to open after his death at nearly 98 years old. She drew a connection between her family’s immigrant history on the Campello side of the city and what she described as the longstanding diversity of Brockton’s neighborhoods. “There is nothing new about people from different places coming and living in the city of Brockton,” she said, directing her closing remarks at Mayor Rodrigues as School Committee chair.
Curriculum Subcommittee Meets at BHS, Hears Literacy Priorities
The Curriculum Subcommittee met at 5 p.m. the same afternoon at the George Rom Little Theater. With Vice Chair Claudio Gomes participating by Zoom (he noted he was under the weather), Ana Oliver chaired the session in his stead. Members present or remote: Ana Oliver, Tony Rodrigues, Stephen V. Pina, Claudio Gomes via Zoom, and Tim Sullivan via Zoom. Dr. Spaulding’s curriculum presentation — previewed there before the full committee meeting — included a closer look at literacy priorities for the coming school year. Spaulding noted that the district’s assessment systems inform not just intervention for struggling students but also enrichment for students whose skills are well ahead of grade level. The subcommittee received the presentation without a vote; follow-up on curriculum contract renewals and their budget implications was flagged for a future meeting.
Other Boards & Commissions
PROMISE College & Career Academy Marks Inaugural Graduation
The founding class of PROMISE College and Career Academy — 30 students — held their graduation ceremony on June 4, 2026. Superintendent Dr. Priya Tahiliani thanked the graduates for building the school’s culture from scratch, without upperclassmen or alumni to model the experience. “You have pioneered a new type of learning and a new type of environment for the benefit of those who will follow you,” Tahiliani said, noting that the class earned 9 associate degrees, 987 total college credits, 72 college acceptances, and 12 Jordan and Abigail Adams scholarships collectively. School Committee Member Tony Rodrigues (Ward 4) and School Committee Member Sandra Centeio (Ward 5) were in attendance. Quincy College President Dr. DeChristofaro was recognized from the audience; PROMISE’s early-college partnership with Quincy College is the largest of the four intergovernmental agreements the Bid Review Subcommittee ratified the same week.
Pride Month Flag Raising at City Hall, June 1
Mayor Moises M. Rodrigues read a formal proclamation at a City Hall flag-raising on June 1 declaring the entire month of June LGBTQIA+ Pride Month in Brockton. Nelson Fernandes, identified at the ceremony as deputy chief of staff for the Rodrigues administration, emceed the event and opened with remarks on visibility and the barriers many LGBTQIA+ individuals continue to face. “When we lead with compassion and when we lead with respect, our entire community is stronger for it,” Fernandes said. Representatives from Family and Community Resources, including team coordinator Alycia Montrond-Bullock, and Emma Allard, Trans Health Navigator for the T-Core program at BAMSI, both spoke and received proclamations from the Mayor.
Around the City
New Director of Economic Development: Mayor Rodrigues has appointed Dr. Eliza J. Wilson as the city’s new Director of Economic Development; her background includes building relationships with business owners, developers, and residents, and she will focus on mixed-use neighborhood development, infrastructure, and workforce opportunities.
Read the full story →New Interim Planning Director: Brockton native and Brockton High School Class of 2007 graduate Elijah Romulus has been named Interim Director of Planning and Community Development; he holds a master’s in Urban Planning and Environmental Policy from Tufts and has secured millions in infrastructure and energy-efficiency grants in prior roles.
Read the full story →Refuse Bill Error — No Action Required: The city apologized for billing residents a $40 quarterly refuse-rate increase before its July 2, 2026 effective date; all premature bills have been abated, and anyone who already paid will receive a $40 credit on their first FY27 bill in August.
Read the full story →Soccer Watch Parties This Summer: Funded by a Healey-Driscoll administration grant through the Massachusetts Sports and Entertainment Events Fund, Brockton will screen international matches featuring Haiti (June 24, 6 p.m.) and Cape Verde (June 26, 8 p.m.) at Campanelli Stadium, with free family activities, soccer clinics, and vendor events at Brockton High School.
Read the full story →FY2027 Budget Public Hearing: A public hearing and comment period on the FY2027 city budget is scheduled for Monday, June 8, 2026, at 5:30 p.m. in Council Chambers, City Hall, 2nd floor.
See the listing →School NCN Subcommittee — Executive Session: The Non-Certified Negotiations Subcommittee meets Tuesday, June 9, at 5:30 p.m. at the Crosby Administration Building, 43 Crescent Street (NISL Room), in executive session with the Brockton Food Service Association SEIU Local 888.
See the listing →Mayor’s Office Hours: Mayor Rodrigues holds 15-minute resident appointments every other Wednesday, 5–7 p.m., in the Mayor’s Office on the first floor of City Hall; slots are first-come, first-served.
See the listing →Mosquito Spraying Underway: Plymouth County Mosquito Control Project truck-based spraying runs nightly between 2 a.m. and sunrise, Monday–Friday, through October 2026; residents may request spraying or opt out at plymouthdeeds.org or by calling 781-585-5450.
Read the full story →
Police Blotter
The police log covering May 20 through June 4, 2026 records a home invasion reported at 45 Summer Street, Apartment 111, in the early hours of May 20, listed as under investigation. The same log period includes a range of routine incidents across the city — disturbances, false alarms, motor vehicle accidents, and property checks — without additional serious incidents rising to the level of public notice in the available log excerpts. The June 3–4 log shows a disturbance at 820 Warren Avenue and several ambulance transfers with no further detail in the excerpt provided.
Beacon Hill — Brockton Delegation
Brady and Plouffe Co-Sponsor Brockton School Police Bill; DuBois Files Land-Disposal Authorization
Sen. Michael D. Brady and Rep. Bridget M. Plouffe have each filed companion bills — SD278 in the Senate and HD3960 in the House — titled “An Act relative to Brockton school police.” The bills address the status and authority of school police officers within Brockton Public Schools; the specific provisions are not detailed in available legislative records this week, but the measures have been filed this session and are in the committee pipeline. Separately, Rep. Michelle M. DuBois has filed HD3772, “An Act authorizing the Division of Capital Asset Management and Maintenance to dispose of certain parcels of land in the city of Brockton,” which would allow the state to transfer specific state-held parcels in Brockton — the precise addresses are not specified in the available bill summary.
Residents with interest in public safety matters should note that the Joint Committee on Public Safety and Homeland Security is soliciting written testimony on a set of bills at a June 8 hearing; that committee is one on which the Brockton delegation’s work on school police legislation may eventually receive a public airing.
Looking Ahead
The FY2027 budget public hearing on Monday, June 8, at 5:30 p.m. in Council Chambers is the most consequential near-term event on the calendar, giving residents their formal opportunity to comment before the council takes up the spending plan. The Ordinance Committee has two meetings already posted in the coming weeks — one focused on form-based code and one on other matters — as the zoning ordinance continues to work its way through the process toward a full council vote. The School Committee’s Non-Certified Negotiations Subcommittee goes into executive session June 9 with SEIU Local 888 representing food-service workers, a negotiation whose outcome will have budget implications. At Beacon Hill, the Joint Committee on Public Safety and Homeland Security holds its June 8 hearing, at which written testimony is being solicited on bills that may include the Brady-Plouffe school police legislation.
The form-based code, in particular, will bear watching: nine letters of support are in the record, the consultant and planning staff have completed three years of work, but the Ordinance Committee has not yet voted, and the ordinance must still pass the full council before any of the four targeted neighborhoods — Montello, Troutbrook/downtown, Loveit Brook, and Campello — see a change in their zoning framework.
Shoe City News • Friday, June 05, 2026
AI generated from public meetings, the city website, and local news sources. Send tips and corrections to the editor.