The Cambridge City Council is the nine-member legislative body that governs the City of Cambridge, Massachusetts. Its members are elected at large to two-year terms, and together they set city policy, pass local ordinances, approve an annual operating budget approaching $1 billion, and appoint the professional city manager who runs daily operations.1City of Cambridge. FY25 Adopted Budget
Who Sits on the Council and How They Get There
All nine seats are elected at the same time, every two years, in November of odd-numbered years. There are no districts and no wards. Every resident votes on every seat.
Cambridge is one of very few American cities that still uses a ranked-choice, proportional representation system, which it adopted in 1939 and first used in 1941.2Voter Choice Massachusetts. Massachusetts Roots of Ranked Choice Voting Voters rank candidates in order of preference instead of picking one. A candidate wins a seat by reaching a threshold called the quota, calculated by dividing the total valid ballots by ten and adding one. Surplus votes above the quota, and votes for eliminated low-finishers, transfer to each voter’s next choice. The count runs round by round until all nine seats are filled.3City of Cambridge. Municipal Elections in Cambridge
How the Mayor Is Chosen
Cambridge voters do not elect a mayor directly. After each biennial election, the nine council members meet and choose one of their own to serve as mayor. The mayor presides over council meetings, represents the city at ceremonial and intergovernmental events, and votes on legislation like any other member.
The mayor has no veto power. State law is explicit that the mayor “shall have no power of veto” and has “the same powers as any other member” when voting.4General Court of Massachusetts. Massachusetts General Laws Chapter 43, Section 99 – Plan E The mayor also sits on the School Committee, though the committee elects its own chair from its seven members.5Cambridge Public Schools. School Committee Overview The council separately elects a vice mayor who steps in when the mayor is absent.6City of Cambridge. City Council
What the Council Does
The council holds all legislative power for the city. Its day-to-day work falls into a handful of categories.
Ordinances. The council writes and passes the local laws that govern conduct, property standards, and municipal operations in Cambridge.
The budget. The city manager drafts the annual budget, but the council has final approval and exclusive authority over taxes, expenditures, and public improvements. The adopted FY25 operating budget was roughly $955.6 million.1City of Cambridge. FY25 Adopted Budget Under Massachusetts municipal finance law the budget must be balanced, and raising revenue beyond existing limits generally requires a Proposition 2½ override approved by voters.
Zoning. Changes to the zoning code require a public hearing before the council can vote. Zoning amendments historically needed a two-thirds supermajority, but recent amendments to Section 5 of the Zoning Act allow certain housing-related changes — such as permitting multifamily housing as of right, allowing accessory dwelling units, or reducing residential parking minimums — to pass by simple majority.7Mass.gov. Voting Threshold Guidance
Oversight. The council issues policy orders directing the city manager to study issues or report back on operations. When it needs more, Massachusetts General Laws Chapter 233, Section 8 allows the council to summon witnesses, take testimony under oath, and compel production of documents.8General Court of Massachusetts. Massachusetts General Laws Chapter 233, Section 8
The Council and the City Manager
Cambridge operates under a “Plan E” charter established by Massachusetts General Laws Chapter 43. Plan E creates a council-manager government with a sharp line between elected policymakers and the hired professional who runs the administration.9General Court of Massachusetts. Massachusetts General Laws Chapter 43 – City Charters
The council appoints the city manager by majority vote, based on administrative and executive qualifications alone. The manager appoints and removes department heads, supervises every city department except the School Committee, prepares the annual budget, and enforces city ordinances. The manager attends every regular council meeting and recommends measures for the council to consider.
What the council cannot do is reach past the manager into daily operations. Individual council members cannot direct hiring or firing, cannot intervene in department affairs, and must route requests for information through the manager. Violating that boundary carries a legal penalty under state law.4General Court of Massachusetts. Massachusetts General Laws Chapter 43, Section 99 – Plan E The council’s leverage over the manager is its power to remove the manager by majority vote, through a defined statutory process that includes a written response and a public hearing.
Standing Committees
Most detailed work happens in committee before it reaches the full council. For the 2026–2027 term the council has eleven standing committees covering ordinance review, finance, government operations, housing, economic development and university relations, human services and veterans, health and environment, long-term planning and public facilities, transportation and public utilities, civic unity, and public safety.10City of Cambridge. City Council Committee Assignments 2026-2027 Each has between five and nine members, with all nine councilors sitting on both Ordinance and Finance. Committees hold their own hearings, take public testimony, and send recommendations to the full council.
Rules Council Members Must Follow
Every council member is subject to Massachusetts General Laws Chapter 268A, the state conflict of interest law. The statute bars municipal officials from participating in any matter where they, immediate family, or an affiliated business has a financial interest, and from accepting outside compensation connected to any matter in which the city has a direct and substantial interest.11General Court of Massachusetts. Massachusetts General Laws Chapter 268A Officials also cannot use their position to secure unwarranted privileges or create the appearance that their judgment has been compromised.
Council meetings are governed by the Massachusetts Open Meeting Law. Meetings must be publicly noticed at least 48 hours in advance, with agendas detailed enough that residents can tell what will be discussed. The council can go into executive session only for narrow statutory reasons such as litigation strategy, collective bargaining, or evaluating an individual’s character, and even then it must first convene in open session, announce the reason publicly, and keep minutes.12Mass.gov. Frequently Asked Questions About the Open Meeting Law
How Residents Can Participate
State law requires the council to meet at least once a month, and Cambridge meets more often than that. Agendas are posted in advance through the city’s Open Meeting Portal, so residents can see which orders, resolutions, and communications are up for consideration.13City of Cambridge. View City Council Agendas and Minutes
Residents who want to speak can sign up for public comment. The city asks speakers to state their name and address, identify the agenda item they are addressing, and keep remarks to items currently under debate. Councilors listen during public comment and generally do not engage in back-and-forth with speakers.
Written testimony is another option. Letters addressed to the City Council in care of the City Clerk are placed on the agenda for the next regular meeting and become part of the official record. Residents can also ask an individual councilor to place a policy order or resolution on a future agenda.6City of Cambridge. City Council