On Thursday, David Micley began a term representing Ward 2 on the City Council. But in an unexpected twist, this month, he’ll be moving to Ward 6.

According to Micley—whose wife, Molly, just gave birth to their fourth child a few months ago—a family friend let him and his wife know that they’d be selling their house.

“We just stumbled upon an opportunity,” Micley said. “We weren’t really looking, but it was sort of a dream house for my wife, and it made sense with a growing family and everything. So, you know, some decisions I make for me, some for the family and the wife, and this one was just about them and what’s right for the family.”

What does that mean for his seat? According to the city’s Law Department, nothing.

According to the Newton City Charter, councilors must live in the ward they are running for office to represent, from the day the nomination papers are made available through the first day of the new term.

Micley, who had no opponent in the 2025 election, is moving out of Ward 2 after the first day of the term. So, Micley is allowed to stay on as Ward 2 councilor while he lives in his new home in Ward 6.

But, he’ll have to run for a seat in Ward 6–either the ward seat, currently held by Martha Bixby, or one of two at-large seats, currently held by Lisa Gordon and Sean Roche—if he wants to stay on the City Council after this term.

This, of course, sets the stage for an interesting Ward 6 dustup in 2027, just moments into 2026.

While keeping a ward seat for nearly an entire term after moving out of the ward is legal, some question the ethics of it.

Micley closed on the house in mid-December, but it went under agreement in October. Things can happen, and nothing is final until closing, Micley noted. But that means he was planning to move to a house in Ward 6 when ballots were being cast for him in Ward 2.

Sean Roche, new at-large councilor from Ward 6, said he’s not worried about 2027 but questions the logic behind not being open about moving before now.

“I’m going to get reelected by being an effective councilor for all of Newton in the coming term, starting today,” Roche said Thursday. “What I am concerned about is how David has broken faith with his Ward 2 constituents by failing to disclose his intentions to move out of the ward when he knew at least five weeks before the election.”

Roche added that he was also concerned that Micley had shared his intentions to move with other city councilors before announcing it to his constituents Thursday night in his newsletter.

Micley insisted he will represent the interests of Ward 2 for the next two years.

“Just with the process of campaigning and knocking on doors, you get to know neighborhoods so much better and develop a connection to them, and I obviously take the responsibility seriously to still be the Ward 2 counselor for the remainder of the term,” Micley said.

He’s also keeping ownership of his house in Ward 2, which he may rent out.

“Ultimately, the job is to represent what people that voted me in want, and that’s a commitment that I’m going to take seriously through the remainder of the term.”