Municipal Cabinet Tour Stops in Peabody Today to Talk Resources, Investments

Peabody is the third stop on a tour by Lt. Gov. Tim Murray and other state officials to highlight new developments in state and local government and promote ways to support and invest in cities and towns.

The public is invited to join Mayor Ted Bettencourt, Lt. Gov. Tim Murray and other city and state officials Tuesday morning to talk resources and investments for Peabody. In March, Murray and other state officials embarked on a tour of a handful of Massachusetts communities with the purpose of highlighting new and innovative developments in state and local government and promote resources and investments in those cities and towns. Peabody is the third stop for the Municipal Affairs Coordinating Cabinet meetings. The public meeting was rescheduled from April 23 to May 7 at 10 a.m. “The Patrick-Murray Administration’s ongoing focus on economic growth at the state and local level continues to pay dividends for Peabody. I look forward to a …

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City Looking at Moratorium, Zoning Restrictions to Replace Pot Shop Ban

The Attorney General's office says that while an outright ban on medical marijuana undermines the new law, placing a temporary ban until state regulations are decided or simply placing zoning restrictions on facilities are legal alternatives.

Mayor Ted Bettencourt, faced with the possibility of the city's new ban on medical marijuana dispensaries being struck down, says he's considering a moratorium instead until state health officials put regulations in place this spring. Attorney General Martha Coakley released a decision last week that found Wakefield's ban on medical marijuana in conflict with the state law approved by voters in November. Peabody's ban is very similar to Wakefield's. Coakley said cities and towns cannot enact outright bans, but rather limit such facilities to certain areas through zoning or impose a moratorium until regulations are in place. Bettencourt tells the Salem News the city's lawyers are reviewing the matter and the City Council may also revisit a …

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Mayor: Hiring New Chief Should Depend on More Than Test Scores

Bettencourt will be hiring a new police chief soon and he wants as much flexibility as possible to get the best candidates for the job. That's why he remove it and the fire chief's job from Civil Service.

Mayor: Hiring New Chief Should Depend on More Than Test Scores

Bettencourt will be hiring a new police chief soon and he wants as much flexibility as possible to get the best candidates for the job. That's why he remove it and the fire chief's job from Civil Service.

Peabody Mayor Ted Bettencourt said he started doing his research last fall after learning of Police Chief Robert Champagne's plans to retire and began talking with other area mayors and town managers about the best way to find a new chief. "My research has shown that the best process for the city is to take the [chiefs'] positions out of Civil Service," he said, adding that this decision is one of the most important ones of his tenure thus far. With greater flexibility in the search process, that will lead to a broader pool of qualified candidates and ultimately the best person for the job, Bettencourt said. He is asking the City Council to vote to remove both the police and fire chief positions from the jurisdiction of Civil Service. …

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Mayor Asks Council to Remove Police, Fire Chief Posts From Civil Service

Without the state-administered testing process and other requirements, the mayor would have greater leeway to hire or fire a chief and even restructure the positions.

Mayor Ted Bettencourt wants to remove both the police and fire chief's jobs in Peabody from Civil Service requirements. If he's successful, that would give Bettencourt much more leeway in appointing new chiefs (absent Civil Service exam scores and assessments) and allow him to treat them as he would any other department head. The law, as of 1987, allows for this, but it's not without controversy. Critics of the measure argue it just politicizes such an important job and may weaken incentive for officers to advance in the same department, while proponents say Civil Service places too many restrictions and thereby, limitations, on appointing a chief. Bettencourt sent a brief letter to the City Council on Friday, asking councilors to take a …

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Mayor Says He Will Take Pay Raise

Bettencourt will accept the increased salary the City Council voted to give him this week -- a 10 percent pay raise.

He didn't ask for it, but Mayor Ted Bettencourt says he will accept the raise offered him this week by the City Council. Bettencourt said Friday afternoon the amount wasn't out of step with what mayors in Beverly and Salem are paid and therefore was "comfortable" with accepting the higher salary after just one year on the job. Councilors voted 8-2 Thursday during their annual review of the mayor's and councilors' salaries to boost the mayor's base pay to $105,000, which is just over a 10 percent increase. "I knew the meeting was coming up...but I didn't take a position on a raise and certainly didn't ask for one," Bettencourt said. He noted, however, he consistently voted in favor of raising the mayor's salary while a councilor himself. …

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Troy O.

9:42 am on Monday, February 18, 2013

Saber, You have no idea what you are talking about. Stop spreading your negative lies about the high school on this board. Either support your stance with PROOF or enough already. Just another helicopter mom who thinks that the outside world is so "dangerous." Go to some other cities around here...it will open your eyes to what REALLY bad schools look like!   more ›

CHART: Salaries of Massachusetts Mayors

Here's a look at what mayors across the Bay State earn each year.

City councilors gave a raise to Mayor Ted Bettencourt Thursday night -- just over 10 percent or $10,000 -- raising his salary to $105,000 and explained that it may seem like a "huge" bump but is actually making up for 12 years without any increases. That's because Bettencourt's predecessor Michael Bonfanti regularly refused to accept raises during his decade in office and none were consequently offered. The late Peter Torigian, who spent more than 20 years in the corner office, was the last one to receive a pay raise. Councilors also said the higher pay better reflects what other area mayors earn now, so we've taken a look at mayor's salaries around Massachusetts. The following chart does not include every Bay State mayor, but is compiled …

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Mayor Asks Residents for Full Cooperation, Assistance With City Efforts on Blizzard

A parking ban is in effect at 8 a.m. Friday, all official updates will be posted through a variety of means and an emergency shelter will be opened if needed.

Mayor Ted Bettencourt is asking residents for their full cooperation and assistance with the city's efforts to respond to the blizzard bearing down on Peabody. There is no school today and there is a parking ban going into effect this morning. "After 8 a.m., and for the duration of the weather emergency, cars may not be parked on public roadways. Any cars parked on a public roadway are subject to towing," reads a press release from Bettencourt's office. "The purpose of the parking ban is to allow city departments to efficiently and effectively clear the roadways to their proper widths and conditions, which is critical for the safe passage of public safety vehicles and other traffic," the statement says. Fire Chief Steven Pasdon said this …

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Governor Says No Law Exists to Allow Interim State Rep Appointment

Mayor Ted Bettencourt had asked the governor to give him the authority to make a non-political interim appointment to Peabody's vacant seat in the Mass. House of Representatives.

That's a negative on the governor appointing or giving authority to appoint an interim state representative for Peabody to fill the seat left vacant with the death of Joyce Spiliotis. Gov. Deval Patrick's office says there is no constitutional provision in Massachusetts' law for Patrick to do so, reports the Salem News. A specific law does exist, however, to deal with U.S. Senate vacancies and Patrick acted under that provision last week to appoint William Cowan while a special election gets underway. Cowan will step down once a winner is elected. In this case, Mayor Ted Bettencourt had asked for a similar temporary appointment to the vacant seat for the 12th Essex District until that special election is decided on April 2. He said he was …

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