SPRINGFIELD — At-Large City Councilor Tracye Whitfield was unanimously nominated to serve as the Springfield City Council vice president for the 2025 legislative session in an informal vote.
The nomination came during the council’s Dec. 16 regular meeting, the last one before the year ends. Whitfield is poised to take over the position after Ward 3 City Councilor Melvin Edwards announced that he would step down from the role of vice president.
“I am respectfully withdrawing my interest,” Edwards said during the council meeting. “I hope that nobody’s feelings are hurt, or anybody is disappointed.”
Edwards is one of the City Council’s longest serving members, having first been elected in 2009. In November 2023, Edwards was reelected to an eighth term. He has served as vice president of the City Council since mid-2022 when then-City Council Vice President Jesse Lederman became president. In 2023, Edwards was reelected to this role.
When he announced that he was stepping down from the vice presidency role, Edwards reflected on his time so far on council. He noted that the council was very proactive for many years, but for a brief period of time, he said the body “lost its way.”
He emphasized the role of the council as it heads into the next legislative session.
“We have a job to be physical stewards of the taxpayers’ dollars and the ordinances and things that we put forth need to reflect what is best for the citizens and residents of the city,” Edwards said.
After Edwards made his remarks, City Councilor Maria Perez officially nominated Whitfield as the new vice president. City Councilor Lavar Click-Bruce called Whitfield “a friend” and showed his support for the nomination and for Edwards’ decision.
“I want to say Melvin Edwards is a class act,” Click-Bruce said. “Thank you for doing that on behalf of the council. I believe in doing things in decency and order and I just want to say thank you for what you’ve done and all that you’re going to do on the council.”
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.
Fenton nominated again
The council also unanimously nominated Ward 2 City Councilor Michael Fenton as president of the council for the 2025 legislative session.
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 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.
Neither Fenton nor Whitfield spoke about the nominations during the Dec. 16 meeting. The council will conduct a formal vote on president and vice president at its first meeting in January.
