Medford Mayor Vetoes City Council Divestiture Decision

MEDFORD, MA — Mayor Breanna Lungo-Koehn has vetoed the City Council’s decision to divest from certain corporations it believes contribute to human rights violations.

In August, City Council passed the ordinance that divests city funds from any companies it believes supplies weapons, derive revenue from prisons or fossil fuels, or contribute to human rights violations such as genocide. While it is not specifically stated in the motion, the Values-Aligned Local Investments Ordinance was primarily inspired by the ongoing events in Gaza between Israel and Palestine. Lungo-Koehn wrote a letter to the council announcing she would be vetoing the decision on Thursday, Oct. 9.

She claimed that the potential financial and legal ramifications of the ordinance had not even been considered before it was voted on, and that the council ignored a memorandum sent by the city’s attorneys at KP Law. In addition, she said city employees are put in the most untenable position with the ordinance due to a lack of structured implementation protocols.

“Enacting policy without fully considering the impact on our departments, employees, and constituents erodes confidence in our governance,” Lungo-Koehn said in her letter to the City Council. “I urge the Council to revisit this ordinance with the additional deliberation it requires, ensuring that legal liabilities are carefully considered, financial impacts are understood, and implementation responsibilities are clearly recognized.”

At the time, Medford was the third municipality in the country to execute this type of divestiture along with Portland, Maine and Dearborn, Michigan.