On an afternoon last week, 59-year-old Carmen Thomas-Jones was sitting on her couch in her Roxbury home scheduling a hair appointment when she heard the news: Boston City Councilor Tania Fernandes Anderson agreed to plead guilty in her federal corruption case, and intends to resign.
“I tried to give Tania Fernandes [Anderson] the benefit of the doubt,” Thomas-Jones said. “Now, my husband is such a cynic. He was like, ‘What you do that for?’ ”
When FBI agents arrested Fernandes Anderson in December on charges that she allegedly arranged to receive a kickback from a City Council staff member, Thomas-Jones, a senior secretary for Boston Public Schools, was reluctant to believe she had committed the crimes. Thomas-Jones had only had positive experiences with the councilor, who made history in 2021 when she became the first Muslim, first African immigrant, and first formerly undocumented person to be elected to the Boston City Council.
As the District 7 councilor, Fernandes Anderson represents some of the most historically diverse neighborhoods in Boston, including Roxbury, Dorchester, part of the South End, and the Fenway. Thomas-Jones felt Fernandes Anderson, as her council representative, was doing good work to improve her Roxbury neighborhood.
Now, Fernandes Anderson no longer has her support.
Thomas-Jones is far from the only resident in Fernandes Anderson’s district who is grappling with a range of emotions in the wake of the news the councilor agreed to plead guilty to two of the six federal corruption charges against her.
In a series of interviews in Fernandes Anderson’s district last week, residents and business owners expressed deep sadness, cynicism, and disappointment at the news, which was still reverberating throughout the district.
“You’re here to serve the people, not serve your purpose,” Thomas-Jones said. “To get a kickback from somebody? No, that’s not how we do things, and it’s a bad representation of the Black community. ... I’m very appalled at her behavior.”
Fernandes Anderson announced on April 8 she plans to step down, but has not officially done so, saying she is working on a transition plan to ensure stability for her constituents. Vacating her seat would leave the district without a designated elected advocate during budget season. Though some in the district said a vacant seat is preferable to Fernandes Anderson continuing to receive a taxpayer-funded salary after pleading guilty to federal crimes.
According to the city charter, if a district councilor formally resigns from their position more than 180 days before the next municipal election, a special election will be held. This year, that deadline is May 8.
Marijke Simmons, a 56-year-old born and raised Bostonian and District 7 resident, said she also had been cautious to believe the allegations against Fernandes Anderson when they were announced in December, arguing that everyone has the right to due process. But now that Fernandes Anderson has agreed to plead guilty, Simmons’ mind is made up.
“I don’t like thieves, period. That’s what it comes down to. ... [I’m] very disappointed,” Simmons said.
Simmons had felt hopeful when Fernandes Anderson ran for office, and voted for her, believing she could make a difference. Now, that trust is gone, she said.
“She hit financial trouble, and she said, ‘Oh, let me steal from the people who need me,’ ” Simmons said. “When you tell me who you are, I believe you. You told me you were guilty, you told me you were sorry. OK, go away and let somebody else do a better job.”
For Sandra Younge, Fernandes Anderson’s corruption case only confirmed the deep cynicism she has toward local elected officials.
Younge, a 65-year-old retiree who previously worked as a special education assistant in Boston Public Schools, grew up in Roxbury and now lives in Dorchester. She remembers being glad Fernandes Anderson was running for office and was pleased when she won.
But as she watched the developments in Fernandes Anderson’s case play out in recent months, she said she had a familiar feeling.
“My first reaction was, ‘Here we go again,’ ” Younge said. “Who do we trust? You know, she’s supposed to look out for the community, and she’s doing nothing but ripping us off.”
“She’s not the first, not gonna be the last, and whoever dropped the dime on her [is] probably doing the same damn thing, it’s just that they didn’t get caught,” she continued.
Longtime Mattapan resident Danny Hardaway expressed sympathy. As a Muslim man who owns a business in Fernandes Anderson’s district in Nubian Square, Hardaway said he was incredibly proud of her when she was elected.
Signing the plea deal is “probably the best thing for her at this point in time,” Hardaway said. But “She represents the community … and a lot of our people, constituents, I should say, looked up to her as a leader, and to see one of the leaders go through this, it’s a sad day.”
TiElla Grimes — a 38-year-old small business owner, lifelong Boston resident, and current District 7 constituent — said she feels Fernandes Anderson’s plea agreement and pledge to resign are the first steps toward redemption.
“It’s unfortunate, it was wrong. However, it’s a system of politics that has always done that: Some people get caught, some people don’t,” Grimes said. “If you can take accountability for where you went wrong, I feel like that is a start in being able to repair some of the harm that you’ve done.”
Niki Griswold can be reached at niki.griswold@globe.com. Follow her @nikigriswold.