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City Government

Lowell City Council

Lowell’s City Council has eleven members: three elected citywide, called at-large, and eight elected from neighborhood districts, one each. That split is recent and hard-won. Until 2021 every seat was elected citywide, a system a federal Voting Rights Act lawsuit challenged for diluting the power of Lowell’s voters of color. The settlement created the district seats you vote on today. Councilors serve two-year terms and choose one of their own as Mayor to chair the Council.

  • Makes the rules by passing ordinances and resolutions.
  • Controls the money by adopting the city’s annual budget.
  • Hires the boss by appointing and overseeing the City Manager.

Council Members

Mayor Erik Gitschier chairs the Council. The three at-large councilors answer to every voter in Lowell. The eight district councilors each speak for one neighborhood, which makes your district councilor the person at City Hall who most directly works for your street.

At-Large · Mayor

Erik Gitschier

Phone: 978-674-4040
At-Large

Rita M. Mercier

Phone: 978-674-4040
At-Large

Vesna Nuon

Phone: 978-674-4040
District 1

Daniel Rourke

Phone: 978-674-4040
District 2

Corey Robinson

Phone: 978-674-4040
District 3

Belinda M. Juran

Phone: 978-674-4040
District 4

Sean McDonough

Phone: 978-674-4040
District 5

Kimberly Scott

Phone: 978-674-4040
District 6

Sokhary Chau

Phone: 978-674-4040
District 7

Sidney L. Liang

Phone: 978-674-4040
District 8

John Descoteaux

Phone: 978-674-4040

Individual councilor emails and direct lines are listed on the city’s “Meet the City Council” directory at lowellma.gov.

Meetings & How to Participate

  • When: the Council meets most Tuesday evenings at City Hall, 375 Merrimack Street, in the Council Chamber on the second floor.
  • Agendas & minutes: posted in advance on the city’s Agenda Center at lowellma.gov.
  • Public comment: residents may speak on agenda items; check the current agenda for the sign-up procedure.
  • Watch: meetings are broadcast on LTC and streamed online.

How to Speak at a Council Meeting

You do not have to be a registered voter, or even old enough to vote, to address the Lowell City Council. Here is how it works.

  1. Check the agenda. It is posted ahead of time on the city’s Agenda Center at lowellma.gov. Find the item you care about so you know when it comes up.
  2. Show up. The Council meets most Tuesday evenings in the Council Chamber on the second floor of City Hall, 375 Merrimack Street.
  3. Sign up to speak. Residents may comment on agenda items, and the current agenda lists the sign-up procedure.
  4. Make it count. Give your name and neighborhood, say what you want the Council to do, and keep it short. If you cannot attend in person, meetings are broadcast on LTC and streamed online.

Sources

Lowell City Council (lowellma.gov). Verified July 2026.

Lowell coverage (x.com). Verified July 2026.

Lowell election results coverage (richardhowe.com). 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.

How to write to them

Council meetings and public hearings are where residents actually shape what the city does. Here is how to get involved and be heard.

Public Hearings & Civic Engagement

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