Peabody Mayor Declares Whether He Will Run For 8th Term This Fall

PEABODY, MA — Peabody Mayor Ted Bettencourt will seek an eighth term this fall as he said he seeks to see "some truly pivotal projects" to fruition and "to keep Peabody moving forward."

Bettencourt cited construction of Peabody’s new public safety headquarters, the Central Street Improvement Project and plans for a new or significantly renovated Peabody Veterans Memorial High School as major capital projects that he helped shepherd to this point.

"Having the three public safety agencies working together under one roof will be invaluable, particularly in the event of a city-wide weather or other emergency scenario," Bettencourt said. "The new building will be more open and accessible to Peabody taxpayers, and I'm happy to report that we are on track to meet our goal of opening it by the end of next year."

He said the $20 million Central Street project will "greatly improve downtown traffic flow, accessibility and the safety and quality of life of countless Peabody residents and business owners."

The City Council recently approved funding for the feasibility portion of the new high school building project.

"Peabody is finally getting the new high school that we've needed for so long and it's going to be a game-changer," Bettencourt said. "It will give our students every advantage and will be a great source of pride for our community and for the entire region."

Bettencourt said the first 14 years of his administration "has been marked by significant achievements," including opening the new Higgins Middle School and extending the lives of several elementary schools, reducing flooding and rebuilding the city's water infrastructure, maintaining effective police and fire staffing levels, improving parks and expanding open space, and driving the city’s economic growth while maintaining sound municipal finance.

"Peabody's success comes down to all of us working together," Bettencourt said. "We've achieved so much, and it's just the beginning. I am so excited to keep our momentum going."

(Scott Souza is a Patch field editor covering Beverly, Danvers, Marblehead, Peabody, Salem and Swampscott. He can be reached at Scott.Souza@Patch.com. X/Twitter: @Scott_Souza.)