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Lynn City Council President Coco Alinsug takes a selfie with newly sworn in Lynn Mayor Jared Nicholson, city councilors, and School Committee members at the closing of Lynn's inauguration ceremony Monday night. (Spenser Hasak) Purchase this photo

Nicholson answers ‘yes’ for Lynn

Dylan Pichnarcik

by

LYNN — For the second time, Jared C. Nicholson was officially sworn in, beginning his second term as the city’s mayor. 

Nicholson and members of the City Council and School Committee were sworn in by District Court Judge Lisa Core. 

In his address, Nicholson highlighted past accomplishments completed by his administration. He said he frequently answered Lynn’s call for action by saying “yes.”

He said, “Each time we answer ‘yes,’ we transform how we see ourselves. Instead of talking about Lynn’s potential, we’re talking about Lynn’s record. We are building a reputation as a community that gets things done and takes care of one another. A community where growth for all of us is a defining characteristic. 

Nicholson said the last time he was inaugurated, he had “lots of questions,” including how the City would recover from the COVID-19 pandemic and “from there, how can we grow in a way that’s inclusive?” 

Four years later, he said, “We asked, can a city stand up for immigrants and diversity, equity, and inclusion and still accomplish what it needs to for our residents?” 

He added, “Together, we answered ‘yes.’”

“Over and over again, we have affirmed our support for our immigrant neighbors. The federal government has intentionally inflicted pain and fear on our neighbors and this community, but it has not broken down our commitment to remain open and welcoming,” Nicholson said.

According to Nicholson, work done throughout the last four years included adding 1,000 housing units within the city, including several dozen affordable units, with hundreds more affordable units currently under construction.

He added that his work over the last four years has included addressing Lynn’s schools, adding more than 1,000 seats “through ingenuity and collaboration” by opening Frederick Douglass Collegiate Academy and the City Arts and Sciences Academy. 

Nicholson said the construction of these buildings has also supported efforts to “increase access to critically formative years of pre-K education.”

“For the first time in recent memory, every family with a 4-year-old who signed up for an LPS seat got one,” he said. 

Additionally, the new Pickering Middle School will open in two years, he said.

Nicholson also addressed stopping gang violence within the city. 

He said community partners, including the Lynn Police Department and the Essex County District Attorney, “stepped up to provide more safe spaces and activities for our young people when they need them most.” 

Additionally, Nicholson highlighted projects that his administration is still working on, including building the Lynn waterfront, revitalizing the city’s downtown, and redeveloping the MBTA garage. 

“We must see them through,” he said. 

He also highlighted acquiring a senior center for the city and other infrastructure projects, including the rehabilitation of the Fayette Street Fire Station and the reconstruction of Western Avenue, Essex Street, and the Lynnway, along with a shared project with the Town of Swampscott to “finally” clean King’s Beach.

“These transformations help Lynn do our part to help the country live up to our creed that we are all created equal. In our country today, our most welcoming places are under attack, besieged by both rising costs and emboldened discrimination. Our democracy depends on our ability to beat back that attack while still delivering the transformation we need,” Nicholson said. 

The new City Council was also sworn in at the ceremony prior to Nicholson. 

The members of the 2026 City Council are: Constantino “Coco” Alinsug, Jordan T. Avery, Brian M. Field, Frederick W. Hogan, Brian P. LaPierre, Obed A. Matul, Nicole D. McClain, Peter D. Meaney, Natasha S. Megie-Maddrey, Hong L. Net, and Cardeliz Paez. 

Ward 3 Councilor Alinsug will serve as Council President, replacing former Ward 7 Councilor Jay Walsh, who did not seek re-election to the Council.

The Council has two newcomers, Ward 5 Councilor Paez, who is replacing Dianna Chakoutis, and Ward 7 Councilor Avery, who is replacing Walsh.

During the ceremony, Brian K. Castellanos, Lorraine M. Gately, Brenda Ortiz McGrath, Lennin “Lenny” Peña, Andrea L. Satterwhite, and Tristan J. Smith were sworn in as members of the School Committee.  

Two new members have joined the School Committee: Ortiz McGrath and Smith. The School Committee met following the ceremony to elect a vice chair. 

The inauguration ceremony was celebrated with performances by Iskwelahang Pilipino of Boston, a traditional Filipino dance group, and In The Mak’n Dance Group. There was also a poetry reading by Poet Laureate Michelle “La Poetica” Richardson.

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