City Government
Fitchburg City Council
If the Mayor is the engine of city government, the City Council is the brake, the steering wheel, and the people who decide where the money goes. Created in 1916 under the City Charter, the Council is Fitchburg’s lawmaking body. Eleven members serve two-year terms: five Councilors-at-Large elected by the whole city, and six Ward Councilors who each answer to one slice of it. Elections fall in odd-numbered years, which means the people in these seats were chosen by voters who showed up in November 2025.
- Sets policy and law by writing and adopting ordinances and resolutions.
- Controls the purse by approving, trimming, or rejecting the budget the Mayor submits.
- Confirms and oversees by reviewing the Mayor’s appointments and conducting the public’s business in the open.
Council Members
Each January the Council picks a President and Vice President from its own ranks to run the meetings. The five at-large councilors below answer to the whole city. The six ward councilors each answer to one part of it, which is why the fastest way to be heard is usually to find yours.
Sally H. Cragin
Anthony M. Zarrella
Amy L. Green
Elizabeth R. Walsh
Kevin T. Starr
Bernard J. Schultz III
Paul R. Beauchemin
Joseph S. Bowen Jr.
Andrew J. Van Hazinga
Marisa R. Fleming
Derrick J. Cruz
Members reflect the results of the November 4, 2025 municipal election. Individual councilor emails and the current President/Vice President are listed on the city’s City Council page at fitchburgma.gov.
Meetings & How to Participate
- When: the first and third Tuesday of each month at 7:00 PM in the Legislative Building, 700 Main Street.
- Agendas and minutes: posted ahead of time on the city’s Agenda Center at fitchburgma.gov, so you can see what is coming before you go.
- Public forum: opens right after the Pledge of Allegiance. Once recognized, you state your name and city and have up to two minutes on any item on the agenda.
- Watch: every meeting is broadcast and streamed live on Fitchburg Access Television (FATV.org).
Sources
Fitchburg City Council (fitchburgma.gov). Verified July 2026.
Fitchburg government website (fitchburgma.gov). Verified July 2026.
What this seat decides
Your Town or City Council
A local ordinance, the city or town budget, or a problem in your own ward or district. The real testimony happens at committee hearings rather than at the full council meeting.
Public hearings and meetings are where residents shape city decisions.