Ward 3 councilor — Just the facts

We’ve read about the demeanor of Ward 3’s city councilor: social media vitriol, disrespect of colleagues, the mayor, civil servants. Her council colleagues voted to censure her for her treatment of public employees. But her supporters resent words like cooperation or civility. So let’s talk about job performance.

We rewatched hours of council meetings and pored over lengthy council minutes and vote spreadsheets. We crunched the numbers. They tell a sad story.

From January 2024 – August 2025, the City Council took 442 votes. Councilor Quaverly Rothenberg? 48 absences and 63 abstentions. She raised charter objections, an extreme tactic, 8 times, making the council stop all discussion and postpone votes at her will.

Example: In Nov. 2024, the council considered a resolution to oppose further expansion of a huge charter school; these reverse-Robin Hood numbers hurt city schools. Councilor Rothenberg objected, forcing an extra meeting two days before Thanksgiving — and then skipped that vote.

Meanwhile, she was assigned to the vital City Services Committee. From Jan 2024 -May 2025 that Committee took 90 votes. Rothenberg? 9 absences, 16 abstentions. After entirely skipping an unprecedented four meetings in a row, she was removed. Another councilor had to take on that job.

She claims to work 80 hours a week, often on “constituent work.” Clearly, she’s not spending those hours attending meetings, or voting! But neither is she working for all constituents; she refuses to engage with perceived critics, despite good faith efforts to talk. She’s ghosted them. It’s unacceptable.

Councilor Rothenberg originally ran uncontested. But not this time.

Laurie Loisel is running to truly represent Ward 3. Laurie’s received so many endorsements here, as an activist, a journalist, a person — we couldn’t ask for a better candidate.

Unlike the incumbent, Laurie’s now regularly attending council meetings, asking questions, taking notes, listening, meeting neighbors on doorsteps and in living rooms. It’s clear she’ll be nobody’s rubber stamp.

Laurie understands a councilor must communicate with all constituents, do the work — and vote, up or down, every time. That, folks, is the job.

Our neighbors deserve representation. We urge Ward 3 residents to vote for Laurie Loisel.

Shoshana Marchand, Ellen Nigrosh and Madeline Weaver Blanchette

Northampton