Who isn't running for reelection to the Quincy City Council
QUINCY ‒ After 10 years on city council, Councilor-at-large Nina Liang will not seek re-election in November. Liang made the announcement at the May 5 council meeting, which took place the evening before candidates could pull nomination papers from the city clerk's office.
All nine council seats and three of six elected school committee seats are up for grabs at the city election scheduled for Tuesday, Nov. 4.
In comments accompanying her announcement, Liang thanked directors of the city's various departments and her colleagues on the council for their support. She also encouraged others to run for office, regardless of whether or not they have prior experience in government.
"I pulled papers when I didn't even know what a city councilor was," Liang said of her first campaign in 2015. "And here I am 10 years later."
In expressing her gratitude to the city's department heads, several of whom were present in the council chambers, Liang downplayed the role of the council.
"We're just the liaisons," Liang said. "We're just lucky enough to be the conduit to connect (constituents) to these amazing people."
Liang described her relationships with fellow councilors as familial and supportive, regardless of agreement or disagreement on political issues. "What a team!" she said.
In a press release, Liang listed as accomplishments the revision of the city's code to use gender-neutral language, the establishment of Quincy's first LGBTQ+ Commission and funding the Language Access Program.
Liang submitted legislation establishing the LGTBQ+ Commission in 2018. The order, which passed the council unanimously, created an 11-person body with all members appointed by the mayor. However, commission member John McDonald said membership has since dwindled to three: Liang, Quincy's event coordinator John McDonald and Jim Petosa.
Quincy Mayor Tom Koch refused to sign the legislation in 2018, but he didn't use his veto, and the order took effect without his endorsement.
Liang said in the statement that she would continue to fight for equity and representation, such as the recognition of Lunar New Year as a holiday in the city's schools.
Liang introduced a law to close schools on Lunar New Year last spring, which the council passed and Koch signed.
However, it was not enforced after pushback from the school committee, which obtained a legal opinion stating it has sole authority over setting the academic calendar. The body has voted repeatedly not to close schools on Lunar New Year in recent years.
Liang was first elected in 2015 at age 27. She and Councilor-at-large Noel DiBona were the first Asian Americans elected to serve as councilors in a city that is 32.5% Asian.
The same class saw the election of Ward 3 Councilor Ian Cain, the first Black and openly gay councilor in Quincy's history. Cain, who has also announced he will not seek reelection, joked about ethnic diversity.
'I don't know what the city council is going to do without their token colored people up here," Cain said, drawing laughter from the councilors. "Noel, you're still the Asian, right?'
"I'm not going anywhere," said DiBona, whose mother is from Thailand.
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Peter Blandino covers Quincy for The Patriot Ledger. Contact him at pblandino@patriotledger.com.
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This article originally appeared on The Patriot Ledger: After 10-year tenure, Quincy councilor Nina Liang not running in fall
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