PEABODY — At the last City Council meeting of the year, some goodbyes and thank yous were in order.
Throughout the evening, many shared their appreciation for the three councilors who will not be returning next year: Councilor-at-Large Tom Gould, Ward 2 Councilor Pete McGinn, and Councilor-at-Large Ryan Melville.
Mayor Ted Bettencourt was the first to kick off the series of appreciative comments.
“Each of you represented the City with class, professionalism, and extreme dedication,” Bettencourt said. “I know all three of you are going to be helping on a number of things moving forward, but I really appreciate everything that you brought forward to the city. You’re going to be missed.”
Councilor-at-Large Jon Turco called Gould, McGinn, and Melville “very close friends” and added that he’s “learned a lot from each of you.”
“I’m certainly going to miss having the three of you on this council,” Turco said. “I will still call. Ryan, through every election cycle, I will call multiple times, and Peter, every budget season, I will call — and Tom, when I want free ice cream, I will call.”
Ward 3 Councilor Stephanie Peach told Gould that he has been a friend both personally and professionally. She then told McGinn to keep his phone on because the Council will surely have questions for him down the line. Peach also told Melville that, considering she began calling him for support well before she was elected onto Council, “I don’t expect (the calls) to end.”
Ward 5 Councilor Dave Gamache wished Gould “a great retirement” and said he hopes Gould is able to spend more time with his grandchildren. Gamache then mentioned how he first served with McGinn’s brother John.
“I thought John was knowledgeable, but you’ve totally blown him away,” Gamache joked.
When acknowledging Melville, Gamache first noted that he’s known him since he was “just a little kid when I hung around with your dad.”
“I know your father is proud of you, and he’s looking down upon you and your accomplishments that you’ve made and given to this city, as well as taking care of every issue at home… I know that he was real proud of you when he was here, and I’m sure he’s much more proud (now). You’ve done a great job,” Gamache said.
Ward 6 Councilor Mike Higgins commended McGinn for his attention to detail and the amount of preparation McGinn would do prior to Council meetings. He extended the same compliments to Melville.
“Having you as a sounding board is going to be missed,” Higgins said to Melville.
To Gould, Higgins said, “Your level of caring and generosity and involvement is paralleled by no one. It was just a pleasure to work with you and to have you as a role model.”
Councilor-at-Large Anne Manning-Martin said she wished all three well in their retirements.
“To my three retiring colleagues, collectively, you have decades of service to the city in your roles, and you are to be commended for that. We all know the sacrifice that is, and the residents of Peabody know as well and appreciate it,” she said.
After noting McGinn’s meticulous nature and Melville’s thoughtfulness, Ward 1 Councilor Craig Welton commended Gould for all his work on the Council.
“I want to thank you particularly for all your hard work that you do in including members of our community of all abilities,” Welton said. “I think Peabody is a very special place for many reasons, but I think it’s a community where everyone feels welcome, and I know that that’s something that’s been very important here and something that you’ve driven for decades.”
Council President and Ward 4 Councilor Julie Daigle also shared some remarks. She began by sharing that Melville has “always given me great advice in a variety of lenses, (and) I appreciate that.” She thanked McGinn for always ensuring the “technical” aspects of governance were done correctly, and she mentioned that Gould was her “inspiration for becoming a City Councilor.”
The three retirees also addressed their fellow councilors for the final time.
“I can’t thank you enough everybody for what a great 14 years it’s been,” Gould said before quickly complimenting his peers one-by-one.
McGinn said, “It’s been a true honor and privilege to represent Ward 2 these past 12 years. I’d really like to thank the residents of Ward 2 for putting their trust and confidence in me over that time, as being a City Councilor is something that I’ve really enjoyed doing, and I’m sure I’m going to miss it at times.”
He added, “I’m proud to have been able to offer some years of public service, and I hope that Ward 2 and the city might be a little better off for it.”
McGinn also wished the new Council the “best of luck.”
Melville noted that his time on Council has been “a great ride.” He encouraged Peabody residents to get involved with local government and thanked his current and former colleagues for their friendship.
“I think you all know that you can call me. If I can ever be of assistance, it’s a phone call away — and that goes for the incoming councilors as well,” Melville said.
Councilors also thanked Daigle throughout the evening for doing an “unbelievable job this year” as Council President.
“Your focus is always on the ball,” Gould said. “You’re right on top of things, and you’re cordial and polite and make everyone feel welcome, so thank you.”
Higgins said, “You handled (being Council President) with grace, and things went smoothly all year long, so I appreciate that and realize how difficult that is.”
Daigle thanked her peers and reminded them, “I couldn’t have done this without each and every one of you because I’ve probably called each of you in a panic or with a random question or looking for advice at some point in time.”
She added, with a laugh, “This is a great group of people, and it’s a pleasure, and I’m proud to say we didn’t have any fist fights or throwing of the code books or anything else.”
Wendy Lattof will begin as Ward 2 Councilor in the new year alongside two new Councilors-at-Large: Jaclyn Corriveau and Jarrod Hochman. They will be sworn in on Jan. 5, 2026 at 7 p.m. at City Hall.
