Government

City Manager Clarifies Watertown’s Role in Immigration Enforcement

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Questions about immigration enforcement in Watertown are something that City Manager George Proakis has heard a lot recently, and he provided some information about the role of the Watertown Police and what they can and cannot do when federal agents are operating in town. Proakis went into detail about several topics related to federal immigration enforcement and how the local law enforcement can interact, or not, during the Feb. 10 City Council meeting. “I’ve received some questions recently about the relationship between local government and federal immigration enforcement. As we’ve seen federal officers more actively seeking and arresting people in the surges that they’ve done many communities, I’ve been asked what this means for Watertown,” Proakis said.

Government

See Why the City Council Narrowly Rejected a Nuclear Disarmament Resolution

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Tuesday night, a citizens group presented the City Council with a petition to support a resolution encouraging the federal government to seek nuclear disarmament in the United States and the other eight nations that have nuclear weapons. The proposal split the Council, which rejected it down by one vote. The resolution was signed by 500 residents, of whom about a dozen spoke in support for a variety of reasons, while a few residents spoke against mostly saying they did not think the issue was something that a local government could impact. The debate amongst the Councilors did not revolve around the content of the resolution, but rather about whether it was appropriate for the City Council to be taking up on their agenda. Originally, the resolution was proposed by a City Councilor, but City Council President Mark Sideris said he did not think it was appropriate discussion because it was not specifically City related, and the Council has many other issues to deal with.

Elections

State Sen. Will Brownsberger Endorsed by City Councilors Past and Present

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Will Brownsberger

State Sen. Will Brownsberger has been endorsed by current and former Watertown City Councilors in his 2026 run for reelection to serve the Suffolk and Middlesex District. He has been senator since Jan. 24, 2012. See more information in the announcement from Brownsberger, below. I am grateful to accept the endorsements of all nine sitting members of the Watertown City Council and two former members. City Council President Mark Sideris

City Councilor at Large Caroline Bays

City Councilor at Large John Gannon

City Councilor at Large Theo Offei

City Councilor at Large Tony Palomba

District A City Councilor Nicole Gardner

District B City Councilor Lisa Feltner

District C City Councilor Vinnie Piccirilli

District D City Councilor Emily Izzo

Former City Councilor John Airasian

Former City Councilor Cecilia Lenk

Statements by Councilors

 I’m proud to support Senator Brownsberger for all that he’s delivered for the Commonwealth and in particular the issues that directly affect the city of Watertown.

Government

Council Roundup: Councilor Elected Head of Statewide Board, DPW Equipment Funded, Contracts Approved

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Watertown District B Councilor Lisa Feltner was elected president of the Mass. Municipal Councillors’ Association.(Photo by Krista Photography | Krista Guenin)

The City Council had a full agenda on Jan. 27, with votes to approve equipment purchases by the Department of Public Works, approval of contracts for multiple City unions, and a Watertown City Councilor was elected head of a statewide board. Also, the date for the Skip the Stuff Ordinance to be considered was announced. At the meeting, City Manager George Proakis announced that the City will be cancelling its contract with Flock Safety for license plate reading cameras.

Government

Watertown City Officials Join State Reps. on Beacon Hill to Ask for Residential Tax Relief

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Watertown City and State officials appeared before a joint committee at the State House on Jan. 27, 2026. Pictured, from left, Steve Owens, George Proakis, John Lawn, Earl Smith, and Mark Sideris. City officials from Watertown joined state representatives on Beacon Hill to request an extension to a bill that allowed Watertown to shift more of the property tax burden from residential properties to commercial properties. The shift would allow a 50/50 split, instead of the current requirements of state law to have 61 percent of the tax levy coming from residential properties.

Development

Retiring Planning Director Looks Back on His 17 Years in Watertown

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Steve Magoon

Steve Magoon has seen the transformation of large sections of Watertown, and played a major role in the creation of some of the City’s most important planning documents during his time working for the City. Magoon will retire at the end of January after more than 17 years as director of the Department of Community Development and Planning. Magoon arrived in Watertown after working for four years in Gloucester, his first job in Massachusetts. His career began in his home state of Maryland, where he rose up to become the planning director in Charles County. He still remembers his first impression of Watertown.

Government

Watertown Cancelling Contract for Flock License Plate Reading Cameras

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Watertown will cancel the contract with Flock Safety to install license plate reading cameras in the City, and City Manager George Proakis told the City Council he wants to continue to have discussions about when it is appropriate for the Watertown Police to use technology in its investigations. The City signed a contract last year with Flock with plans to install eight cameras. Proakis announced the end of the contract at the Jan. 27 City Council meeting, but said he would like the City Council to discuss use of technology by the Watertown Police Department. The cameras became a topic of discussion in recent months as more communities install them, and others have removed them due to concerns about how the data collected by the cameras is being used, and who has access to it.

Government

Schools, City Buildings Closed Monday Due to Snow Storm

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The City of Watertown and the Watertown Public Schools announced closures on Monday due to the snow storm beginning Sunday and continuing into Monday, which could drop up to 2 feet of snow on the area. See details below. Watertown Schools

The Watertown Public Schools will have a snow day for Monday, Jan. 26, according to the following announcement from the WPS website:

“With the snow expected to begin today, with 18–24 inches forecast by Monday. All Watertown Public Schools and offices will be closed tomorrow, Monday, January 26, due to unsafe travel conditions.