City Council President Michael Fenton gives remarks during the Jan. 6 organizational meeting.
Photo credit: Focus Springfield
SPRINGFIELD — The City Council unanimously selected Ward 2 City Councilor Michael Fenton as the council’s president and At-Large City Councilor Tracye Whitfield as the council’s vice president for the 2025 legislative session.
The votes took place during the council’s organizational meeting on the morning of Jan. 6 at City Hall in front of a crowd of local state legislators, city officials and some councilors’ family members.
The meeting was the council’s first of 2025.
“I take this responsibility very seriously and I’m excited to begin a new chapter in our collective efforts to make Springfield the best city it can be,” Fenton said in his remarks after being chosen as president. “I’m grateful for your trust and confidence in me, and I will work every day to demonstrate that your trust has not been misplaced.”
Fenton has been a member of the City Council since 2010 and previously served as the council’s president from 2014-2016.
He reclaimed the role for the 2024 legislative session at the end of 2023 after former City Council President Jesse Lederman decided not to run for reelection, but instead run for mayor.
During his time on council, Fenton has chaired the Casino Oversight Committee, the General Government Committee, Finance Committee, Audit Committee, Residency Committee, Cannabis Committee and the Special Committee Digital Equity, he shared.
Fenton is also a current member of the Residency Compliance Commission.
Fenton represents the neighborhoods of Hungry Hill, East Springfield and Atwater Park, and is a partner at the Springfield-based law firm Shatz, Schwartz & Fentin PC.
In his remarks to the public during the organizational meeting, Fenton said he hopes the council can “rise above the noise” and avoid the “political hostility” that the incoming federal administration “will bring in.”
“We can rise above the noise and operate our city government with dignity, professionalism and kindness,” Fenton said. “As the elected representatives who are closest to our constituents, we will surely be called on to defend our principles and our people.”
Whitfield replaces Ward 3 City Councilor Melvin Edwards as vice president after Edwards announced that he would step down from the role during the council’s Dec. 16 meeting.
“I am respectfully withdrawing my interest,” Edwards said during the December council meeting. “I hope that nobody’s feelings are hurt, or anybody is disappointed.”
Elected as an at-large councilor in 2018, Whitfield previously served as the council’s vice president in 2021. She currently serves as the executive director for the Coalition for an Equitable Economy and was previously the diversity, equity and inclusion coordinator for West Springfield.
She also currently chairs the council’s Civil Rights committee.
In her remarks to the council and public, Whitfield thanked all of her friends and the elected officials in the room and said she is thankful to be able to work with Fenton in this role throughout the next year.
“It feels really, really good to have a unanimous vote of my colleagues on the council,” Whitfield said. “I look forward to working with you and making this a successful year.”
