Politics & Government
Woburn 'Alderman' To 'Councilor' Title Change Now Official
Gov. Charlie Baker signed a bill making the gender-neutral title official, a year after the City Council requested the change.
WOBURN, MA — Woburn City Council's members now have a gender-neutral title, after the state approved the council's request last month.
The city petitioned the state in Sept. 2020 to change the title from "alderman" to "city councillor," reflecting a prior switch from "Board of Aldermen" to "City Council." Because the title change is an alteration to the city charter, it required a home rule petition to the state.
Gov. Charlie Baker signed the bill approving the legislation Sept. 28, 2020, according to a memo from state Rep. Richard Haggerty sent to the council the following day.
Find out what's happening in Woburnfor free with the latest updates from Patch.
Like this article? Sign up for our newsletter and get it delivered every weekday. It's free!
The last Board of Aldermen in Massachusetts, Melrose, was renamed in 2019.
Find out what's happening in Woburnfor free with the latest updates from Patch.
Christopher Huffaker can be reached at 412-265-8353 or chris.huffaker@patch.com.
Get more local news delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for free Patch newsletters and alerts.