City Council - Inaugural Meeting

January 5, 2026
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Executive Summary

The Cambridge City Council held its 49th inaugural meeting on January 5, 2026, to swear in the 2026-2027 City Council and elect leadership. Following the administration of the oath of office to the nine councilors-elect, the body elected Sumbul Siddiqui as Mayor and Burhan Azeem as Vice Mayor, both by unanimous vote after initial balloting. The Council also provisionally adopted the 2024-2025 City Council Rules for the new term and recognized outgoing Mayor E. Denise Simmons for her service.

Meeting Information

  • Date: January 5, 2026
  • Governing Body: Cambridge City Council
  • Meeting Type: Inaugural Meeting
  • Presiding Officer: Paula Crane, Interim City Clerk
  • Attendees:
    • Councilor Aya A. Al-Zubi
    • Councilor Burhan Azeem
    • Councilor Timothy R. Flaherty
    • Councilor Marc C. McGovern
    • Councilor Patricia M. Nolan
    • Councilor Sumbul Siddiqui
    • Councilor E. Denise Simmons
    • Councilor Jivan Sobrinho-Wheeler
    • Councilor Catherine Zusy

Call to Order and Charter Reading

  • Interim City Clerk Paula Crane called the meeting to order at 10:00 AM under the authority of the City Charter and Massachusetts General Laws Chapter 43, Section 97.
  • The Clerk read Section 97 of the Cambridge Plan E Charter into the record, which states in part:

    "The City Council shall have and exercise all the legislative powers of the City... the members of the City Council shall severally make oath before the City Clerk or a Justice of the Peace to perform faithfully the duties of their respective offices."

  • Councilors Azeem and McGovern were designated to collect and verify the credentials of the elected members.

Administration of Oath of Office

  • The Interim City Clerk administered the oath of office to the nine members elected in the November 2025 municipal election.
  • The following individuals were sworn in as City Councilors for the 2026-2027 term:
    1. Aya A. Al-Zubi
    2. Burhan Azeem
    3. Timothy R. Flaherty
    4. Marc C. McGovern
    5. Patricia M. Nolan
    6. Sumbul Siddiqui
    7. E. Denise Simmons
    8. Jivan Sobrinho-Wheeler
    9. Catherine Zusy

Election of Mayor

  • The Council proceeded to the election of a Mayor from its own members.
  • Initial Voting:
    • Al-Zubi: Siddiqui
    • Azeem: McGovern
    • Flaherty: Zusy
    • McGovern: McGovern
    • Nolan: Nolan
    • Siddiqui: Siddiqui
    • Simmons: McGovern
    • Sobrinho-Wheeler: Siddiqui
    • Zusy: Nolan
  • Vote Changes: Following the initial roll call, Councilors Nolan, Azeem, Zusy, Flaherty, McGovern, and Simmons changed their votes to Councilor Siddiqui.
  • Outcome: Councilor Sumbul Siddiqui was elected Mayor by a unanimous vote (9-0-0).
  • Mayor Siddiqui delivered remarks emphasizing collaboration and equitable service: "We'll govern collaboratively, grounded in our shared love for this city and a commitment to putting people first."

Election of Vice Mayor

  • The Council proceeded to the election of a Vice Mayor.
  • First Ballot:
    • Azeem: 4 votes (Al-Zubi, Azeem, McGovern, Simmons)
    • Nolan: 3 votes (Nolan, Siddiqui, Zusy)
    • Zusy: 1 vote (Flaherty)
    • Sobrinho-Wheeler: 1 vote (Sobrinho-Wheeler)
  • Second Ballot and Vote Changes:
    • During the second ballot, Councilor Flaherty changed his vote to Azeem.
    • Subsequently, Councilors Sobrinho-Wheeler, Nolan, Zusy, and Mayor Siddiqui changed their votes to Councilor Azeem.
  • Outcome: Councilor Burhan Azeem was elected Vice Mayor by a unanimous vote (9-0-0).
  • Vice Mayor Azeem noted the diversity of the city and the council's shared commitment to affordability and fairness.

General Business and Adoption of Rules

  • Adoption of Rules: Councilor Simmons moved to provisionally adopt the 2024-2025 City Council Rules for the 2026-2027 term.
    • Vote: 9-0-0 (Unanimous).
  • Recognition: Mayor Siddiqui presented a gift to outgoing Mayor E. Denise Simmons in recognition of her service during the previous term.
  • Acknowledgments: The Interim City Clerk expressed gratitude to City Manager Yi-An Huang, Deputy City Manager Kathy Watkins, and various city departments for their work in preparing for the inauguration.

Adjournment

  • Councilor McGovern moved to adjourn the meeting.
  • Vote: 9-0-0 (Unanimous).
  • The meeting was adjourned to a reception at the Foundry.

Last updated: Jan 12, 2026

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