Latest news with #FernandesAnderson
Yahoo
30-06-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Convicted Councilor Fernandes Anderson attends final meeting before resignation
Editor's note: This story was updated at 4 p.m. on June 25 to add information from Councilor Julia Mejia. Boston City Councilor Tania Fernandes Anderson attended her final Council meeting while in office on Wednesday before resigning due to her conviction on federal corruption charges. Fernandes Anderson gave a presentation at the beginning of Wednesday's meeting to thank her staff for their work and their support. She said everything they had done while in office was meant to help the residents of her district. 'When we came into District 7, we looked at the work, and we wanted to tie it directly to the data. We wanted the policies to be best practice-informed, and we wanted it to be data-informed,' she said. 'We went to work, we collaborated with universities and [the] community, we created a district council and built partnerships from the ground up, and we listened and allowed people to have power and lead us.' She also recognized that the 'climate got tough' near the end of her time in office, without acknowledging her arrest, and thanked her staff for their professionalism and for keeping their 'head up high.' Fernandes Anderson was arrested in December on charges that she ran a kickback scheme with a family member whom she employed in her City Hall office, using public funds to help with her own financial struggles. She pleaded guilty in May to one count of wire fraud and one count of theft involving federal funds. The councilor, who was first elected in 2021, is scheduled to be sentenced on July 29. Earlier this month, Fernandes Anderson said she would be resigning effective July 4. In a letter to her colleagues, she wrote that it had been a 'great honor' to serve on the council. 'I am deeply proud of the work we've established together,' she wrote. 'As I transition into the next chapter, I carry with me an enduring love for this city and a steadfast commitment to its people. I look forward to continuing to serve our community in new and meaningful ways.' The councilor did not let her last meeting pass by without some final efforts to shape the city. The meeting's agenda included 11 resolutions she had filed, including one to support parents' right to bring their infant children to work, one encouraging city and state collaboration to build housing for young adults aging out of Department of Children and Families care and another calling for a 'comprehensive transportation study' to evaluate the city's infrastructure. City Council resolutions are nonbinding but allow the council to declare an official position on a topic. While discussing a resolution she filed to recognize her 'District 7 Workbook,' a document intended to help residents of the district and her successor to transition to new leadership and navigate city government, Fernandes Anderson said she wanted to 'put power in the hands of the people' and set a precedent for other district councilors to do the same for their constituents. 'I had originally stated that there was too much turnover in District 7, and District 7 deserves to build continuity and have a tool that they can continue to build on,' she said. She also wished good luck to the next councilor to take her seat, who will be elected in the fall during the citywide election. Though the District 7 Workbook resolution failed to pass, the other resolutions she filed were adopted. Councilor Julia Mejia praised Fernandes Anderson's dedication to listening to the community while in office. 'You have outdone yourself and everyone else here on the council when it comes to creating real, meaningful engagement for real, everyday decisions,' Mejia said. 'Every single thing that you have done has been for and with the people that you serve.' Another resolution Fernandes Anderson filed before Wednesday's meeting asked the council to formalize their 'commitment to public education regarding the duties, functions and authority of councilors,' including modernization measures such as public data dashboards to increase transparency in city government. 'While our city has repeatedly affirmed its commitment to racial equity, transparency and data-informed governance, the tools available to measure progress, particularly public-facing dashboards, remain fragmented, inconsistent, and in many cases, entirely absent,' she wrote in a letter to the council. 'This lack of centralized, real-time and disaggregated data undermines both accountability and community trust, and limits our collective ability to drive equitable results across neighborhoods.' Boston Councilor Fernandes Anderson resigns after pleading guilty to fraud charges District 7 candidates debate land use, White Stadium at Boston forum Boston City Councilors renew calls for Fernandes Anderson to resign Boston City Councilor pleads guilty to fraud, corruption charges Read the original article on MassLive.
Boston Globe
26-06-2025
- Politics
- Boston Globe
Boston City Councilor Tania Fernandes Anderson thanks staff, constituents at final council meeting
Advertisement 'I thank you from the bottom of my heart,' said Fernandes Anderson. 'I came into this role the same way I leave it — in service, in the spirit of accountability, in the name of dignity, and always, always in the belief that real power rests with the people. To my constituents in District 7, thank you. You are the beating heart of the city. You are the reason I fought." Related : Several of her colleagues also spoke before the body to thank her for her service and express appreciation for their time working together. 'Thank you for your leadership, thank you for your emotional intelligence, thank you for your rawness,' said a visibly emotional Councilor Julia Mejia. 'In this chamber in particular, you bring your full wrath into the space and your full heart for the people that you love, and that takes a lot of courage to do, especially in this political climate that we're in.' Advertisement Fernandes Anderson broke several barriers when she was first elected to the council in 2021, becoming the first Muslim, the first formerly undocumented person, and the first African immigrant to serve on the body. She quickly became known for being a vocal advocate for social justice and racial equity issues on the council. She also was involved in some controversies. In 2023, she paid a $5,000 fine for violating state ethics rules by hiring and then giving raises to her sister and son. In December, the news that The pair exchanged the money in cash in a City Hall bathroom, according to the federal indictment. In the wake of her arrest, She Advertisement Under state law, the council does not have the authority to remove a sitting councilor unless they have been sentenced for a felony conviction. In recent weeks, Fernandes Anderson has faced additional criticism for continuing to receive her taxpayer-funded, $120,000 annual salary after officially pleading guilty to federal charges. She's defended her decision to not step down sooner, saying she wanted to finish her transition plan for her constituents and her eventual successor. Fernandes Anderson on Wednesday celebrated completing that project: a hundreds of pages-long workbook that she described as a comprehensive guide to local government and everything about District 7. 'This is not sort of like just a handbook or the thing that you go to and just skim through pages, you can actually have tools and templates and worksheets in here to actually educate and support constituents, but also it is my baton for the next councilor,' she said. 'I pray and hope and wish the best of luck to [them].' According to the city charter, if a district councilor's seat becomes vacant more than 180 days before the next municipal election, it triggers the process of scheduling a special election to fill the seat. That deadline this year has passed, so Fernandes Anderson's position will remain vacant until her successor is decided in the November election. Niki Griswold can be reached at
Boston Globe
24-06-2025
- Politics
- Boston Globe
Boston City Councilor Fernandes Anderson invites constituents to attend her final city council meeting
Federal authorities arrested Fernandes Anderson in December on charges of orchestrating a kickback scheme while in office. She was accused of hiring a relative in December 2022 and giving them a $13,000 bonus months later, with the caveat that Fernandes Anderson receive $7,000 of it in cash. Last year, she made $114,557 in salary on the city council, Fernandes Anderson initially pleaded not guilty to the charges but in April agreed Advertisement In exchange, prosecutors agreed to drop the other four charges, recommending she pay $13,000 in restitution and serve one year and a day in prison, followed by three years of supervised release. She is scheduled to be sentenced in federal court on July 29. After prosecutors announced the charges, Mayor Michelle Wu and five city councilors called for her resignation. Under state law, the council does not have the authority to remove a sitting councilor unless they have been sentenced for a felony conviction, but Fernandes Anderson announced June 12 that Advertisement Fernandes Anderson represents Roxbury, Dorchester, part of the South End, and the Fenway. In 2021, she became the first Muslim and formerly undocumented immigrant to be elected to the council. In her email to constituents Monday, Fernandes Anderson said she would be 'grateful to share this closing chapter with you.' 'This isn't goodbye, it's a moment to honor the work we've done together, the voices we've lifted, and the community we've loved forward,' she said. Fernandes Anderson did not return messages seeking further comment Tuesday. Nick Stoico can be reached at
Boston Globe
12-06-2025
- Politics
- Boston Globe
Boston City Councilor Tania Fernandes Anderson announces she's filed her resignation, last day in office will be July 4
More than two months later, she announced in an email Thursday that she has officially submitted her letter of resignation, and that her last day in office will be July 4. 'It has been one of the greatest honors of my life to serve you, my neighbors, my community, my people,' Fernandes Anderson wrote in the email to constituents. 'Every policy I wrote, every budget line I fought for, every block I walked was rooted in love and loyalty to you, District 7.' Advertisement Federal authorities arrested Fernandes in December for Related : It marked a stunning fall from grace for the councilor, who broke barriers as the first Muslim, and formerly undocumented person, to be elected to the council. Mayor Michelle Wu and five of her colleagues publicly called for her resignation in response to the charges. Despite Advertisement Under state law, the council does not have the authority to remove a sitting councilor unless they have been sentenced for a felony conviction, so Fernandes Anderson will continue to receive her $120,000 annual salary until she steps down. This is a developing story, check back for updates. Niki Griswold can be reached at
Yahoo
30-05-2025
- General
- Yahoo
District 7 candidates debate land use, White Stadium at Boston forum
Nine candidates seeking to replace Boston District 7 City Councilor Tania Fernandes Anderson discussed a number of community issues during a virtual forum Thursday night. But the one issue that remained unsaid during the nearly three-hour forum was the reason Fernandes Anderson's seat is open — her conviction on federal corruption charges. The event, held on Zoom, was organized by the District 7 Advisory Council, a group formed by Fernandes Anderson to lead community efforts and create policies that benefit the area. Despite the elephant in the room, the candidates who participated in Thursday's forum largely praised Fernandes Anderson's work on the City Council, particularly her engagement with District 7 residents and her work increasing citizen participation in the city budget process. 'One thing that I appreciate, and many of the residents appreciate, from Councilor Fernandes is the approach she brought to educating everyone on the budget, but also the funding sources, like where the money comes from, for different projects,' Samuel Hurtado said. 'The residents felt that they were now ... more knowledgeable and more empowered to fight for our priorities.' Said Abdikarim, Mavrick Afonso, Said Ahmed, Miniard Culpepper, Hurtado, Jerome King, Roy Owens Sr., Wawa Bell and Tchad Cort participated in Thursday's forum. Five other candidates—Natalie Juba-Sutherland, Joao Gomes DePina, James Grant, Shawn Dwayne Nelson and Robert Stanley — are also running for the seat and returned nomination papers to be placed on the ballot. It is the largest field of candidates for any Boston city office in the 2025 election. One of the predominant issues in the discussion was the use of city-owned land for future development, particularly for housing. Multiple candidates said that much of the city-owned land in District 7 was taken by eminent domain during the 1960s Urban Renewal movement, which primarily affected families of color. Culpepper and Bell specifically called out Fernandes Anderson's 2022 proposal for a moratorium on the development of this land for housing, saying they would continue to support such an effort to get more community input about the future of the land. 'If you're not taking into account that the land that was stolen from families ... you're doing a disservice to the community,' Bell said. Another major topic of discussion was the redevelopment of White Stadium in Franklin Park. The project has been criticized by a vocal group of residents for its high cost and the fact that the city is partnering with a new professional women's soccer team that will share the Boston Public Schools facility. While some candidates were more strongly opposed to the project itself, all of them agreed that the city should have had more conversations with the community to ensure that the redevelopment was beneficial for all. Ahmed, who ran track for BPS and later became a coach, said the stadium was very special to him, but he believes the aging structure did need to be rebuilt. 'However, there were a lot of missed opportunities,' he said. 'Some community members feel that they didn't get a voice. ... I want to make sure we utilize that facility and make sure it stays in the hands of Boston Public Schools.' Fernandes Anderson attended the Zoom call Thursday evening and spoke at the end of the forum to thank the candidates for participating and the organizers for hosting it. She also participated in the discussion, repeating the questions asked or adding her own comments. At times, she disagreed with the candidates, particularly about the work the District 7 Advisory Council had done. On one occasion, when Afonso said he would add new subcommittees to the council, she wrote, 'That exists.' After Tchad Cort suggested adding a student representative to the council, Fernandes Anderson noted that one of those subcommittees was a 'youth group' and said she was 'looking forward to helping with passing on the baton." 'Great minds think alike,' she said on camera at the end of the event. Fernandes Anderson was arrested in December on charges that she ran a kickback scheme with a family member whom she employed in her City Hall office. She admitted to using public funds to help with her own financial struggles. She pleaded guilty earlier this month. Though Fernandes Anderson has indicated she would resign, she has not yet stepped down. After her sentencing, scheduled for July 29, Fernandes Anderson's seat is expected to remain vacant until a new councilor is elected in November. District 7 voters will narrow down the field of candidates in the Sept. 9 preliminary election before selecting the next councilor on Nov. 4. MIT announces plans to wind down DEI office, eliminate equity VP job Arrested by ICE? Witness an arrest? These are your rights Harvard commencement speaker says it's fitting to 'hear from an immigrant like me' Poll: Trump's approval is soaring with this group of voters Many foreign students already fleeing Harvard University due to Trump order Read the original article on MassLive.
