Council votes 7-4 to reconsider Fernandez pension bill

City Council · Meeting of July 28, 2026

Lowell City Council voted 7-4 to reconsider its authorization of special legislation for former police officer Vincent Fernandez. Retirement Board Chairman William DeRozas told the council the bill would raise Fernandez's pension by about $18,000 a year, retroactive to 2017, which he estimated at roughly $180,000 immediately and up to about half a million dollars in total. Councilor Murcia, who moved to reconsider, said she "voted with my heart." City Manager Golden said the retirement board had voted no and he expected the state to decline it.

In other action, a $249,708 health department lease appropriation failed with seven votes, short of the eight required, and the council voted 6-5 to ask the city manager to seek funds for a Ladd and Whitney monument fence.

In the full story:

• Opening and procedure
• Reconsideration of the Fernandez special legislation (item 6.1)
• Hearings and referrals
• School invoices
• Data center zoning (item 6.3)
• Polling location
• Council motions
• Executive session minutes (item 6.14)
• Ladd and Whitney monument fence (item 6.15)
• Motion responses and city manager votes
• Who Was There
• Organizations And Documents Referenced
• The complete report: 1,730 words

Source: the City Council meeting of July 28, 2026, reported from the official video recording and transcript.

Checked against the record: before publication this article was automatically compared with the meeting transcript. It was corrected where it differed.