City Councilor Chris Connell’s Residence Called into Question
The Pittsfield City Council could vote Tuesday night on the future of one of its own.
In the agenda for Tuesday's upcoming meeting, a citizen's petition is requesting that the Council determine if Ward 4 Councilor Chris Connell has moved from the City of Pittsfield. If the Council does determine that Connell is not living in the city, he would be removed from his seat immediately.
In multiple different Facebook posts, Councilor Connell openly acknowledged he was spending limited time in the City of Pittsfield and the majority of his time at a condo in upstate New York that he had purchased last year.
In a July 25 post, he announced that he had sold his home on Dawes Ave and was moving in with his mother to care for her, citing her declining health. However, after Covid-19 hit, to avoid too much contact with her, he said he was spending most of his time at the Adirondak condo. Several other posts to his social media account show him often located in upstate New York. He did state he was coming back to Pittsfield two days a week.
In the past few months throughout Zoom City Council and subcommittee meetings, Connell's internet connection was notoriously spotty, which some speculated was based on his location.
Councilor Connell has also been under scrutiny recently for what many perceived as inappropriate statements in public meetings, as well as social media posts that contain racially charged content, relating to the Black Lives Matter movement and racial injustice in the county.
The Council could vote on the petition as soon as this Tuesday night.