CHICOPEE, Mass. — The Chicopee City Council on May 29 voted 10–1 against filling the vacant at-large council seat and then voted to defeat a separate proposal to set an interim nomination and voting schedule.

The council rejected a motion to appoint someone to serve the remainder of the term, with Councilor Brooks the lone member voting in favor. The defeat meant no appointment will be made before the next municipal election, and a later effort to adopt a formal timeline for nominations and a vote was also defeated by voice roll call.

The question of whether to appoint a replacement drew sharply divided views. Councilor Costello argued against an appointment, saying the council has “already functioned for several months without the position being filled” and that leaving the seat vacant would save taxpayer money. Councilor Brooks urged filling the seat, saying the late Councilor Zegorowski “would have wanted additional representation” and warning that the council could face 6–6 deadlocks if the vacancy continued.

Public commenter Lisa Bienvenue said she was “glad that you guys are looking to do that,” and expressed frustration about confusion over whether prior council actions on related charter and ballot matters were binding. “I was surprised to see this item about the mayor’s term come up at this meeting,” she told the council during the single public-input period.

After debate, the council first voted on a motion to fill the vacant at-large position; the motion failed (tally: yes 1, no 10). The council then considered an order that would have set June 3 to open nominations and June 17 to close nominations and hold a vote; members moved to defeat that agenda item and the motion to defeat passed (tally: yes 11), meaning the council did not adopt the proposed schedule.

Council members who opposed immediate appointment cited the short time remaining before the municipal election, the upcoming budget hearings and the challenge of getting an appointee up to speed quickly. Members who supported appointment cited representation for residents and honoring the late councilor’s legacy.

The council’s actions followed the reading of an order invoking Article 1, Section 7 (vacancies) of the Chicopee city charter, which frames how the council may fill a vacancy. The meeting record shows the council completed the scheduled votes after a single public-input period and then adjourned.

What happens next will depend on council direction or future votes; the council did not adopt a timeline for nominations and appointments at the May 29 special meeting.