PEABODY — Mayor Edward A. Bettencourt Jr. has announced his intention to run for a sixth term.
In Tuesday’s announcement, Bettencourt cited numerous significant achievements his administration has accomplished as well as his “continued desire to make Peabody an even better place to live.
“I am really proud of what we have been able to accomplish despite the tragedy and hardship of the COVID-19 pandemic,” said Bettencourt. “Our community has been through so much during the past year, but we persevered, and together we look forward to much brighter days ahead.”
The office of City Clerk Allyson Danforth confirmed Tuesday that Bettencourt is the only candidate who has pulled nomination papers.
The deadline to pull nomination papers is Friday, July 23. Should it be needed, the primary election will be held on Tuesday, Sept. 14 with the final election following on Tuesday, Nov. 2.
Bettencourt cited the city’s response to the pandemic as a highlight.
“From the very beginning of the pandemic, we focused on delivering all the municipal services that taxpayers expect,” said Bettencourt. “We prioritized essential services like police and fire, public health, and water and sewer. We found innovative ways to inspect buildings, issue permits and respond to the other needs of our residents and business owners.”
Regarding schools, Bettencourt said that Peabody was “among the first cities in Massachusetts to return all grades to full-time in-person learning.”
Other achievements included the reopening of City Hall on April 7, 2021 and the Peabody Institute Library on April 20.
“Similar to schools, the reopening of City Hall and the Library are significant milestones on our road back to normal life,” Bettencourt said.
The city’s response to the needs of small businesses — which included $380,000 in Community Development Authority-approved pandemic relief grants for 110 small Peabody businesses — was lauded.
“The grants were unique among North Shore cities and towns and offered business owners comfort and flexibility during the darkest days of the pandemic,” Bettencourt said.
Bettencourt said the City Council’s unanimous approval of his outdoor dining plan “enabled 18 restaurants to expand their seating capacity, increase their revenues, and hire back laid-off workers.”
Another success was defeating Verizon’s plans to construct a cell phone tower in South Peabody.
In response to neighbors’ objections, the city reached an agreement with Peabody Municipal Light Plant to install wireless devices on utility poles instead.
Bettencourt identified key improvement projects including the sale of 2, 12 and 16 Washington St. and his plans to construct a bed-and-breakfast.
“This project surpasses even our fondest wishes for what would become of the beautiful O’Shea Mansion,” Bettencourt said. “It will complement the many other shops and restaurants in a revitalized downtown Peabody and will preserve the precious Revolutionary history for which the Mansion is renowned.”
Other projects include rebuilding the Central Street corridor and extension of the Peabody Independence Greenway bike path.
“Peabody will soon be home to one of the premier trail systems in the region,” Bettencourt said.
Bettencourt said the Riverwalk project will revitalize the downtown area and the proposed Peabody-to-Salem trolley will provide an essential link between the downtown area and the MBTA commuter rail station in Salem.
Other successes included Bettencourt’s efforts to end a 40-year cable TV monopoly with the addition of RCN, the city’s strong bond rating and low real estate taxes.
“While Peabody residents enjoy a level of municipal services which meet or exceed those of nearby cities and towns, they benefit from property tax bills that are on average hundreds and even thousands of dollars less than those communities,” said Bettencourt. “I am committed to maintaining Peabody’s affordability while delivering the high level of municipal services that residents expect.
“It has been a very difficult year for all of us, but Peabody is a very strong community made up of very resilient people. I believe our best days are yet to come.”
In 2019, Bettencourt ran unopposed for a fifth two-year term. He received the most votes in the election among all candidates with 7,201 votes cast. Bettencourt was first elected in 2011.
The longest-serving mayor in Peabody was Peter Torigian, who served a total of 23 years (1979-2002).
