View the Attleboro Handbook
Bristol County
Attleboro, Massachusetts
Everything you need to understand and take part in local government in Attleboro — who leads the city, who represents you on Beacon Hill and in Washington, and how to make your voice heard. Attleboro is a strong-mayor city of about 46,500 in the heart of Bristol County, long known as “The Jewelry City.”
Attleboro at a Glance
- County: Bristol — Attleboro is the county’s fourth most populous municipality and its least populous city.
- Government: Mayor-Council (strong mayor) — Mayor Cathleen DeSimone, in office since 2023.
- Schools: Attleboro Public Schools — about 6,200 students across 12 schools.
The Attleboro Civics Handbook
The 2026 Attleboro Civics Handbook is a plain-language guide to how your city works — from the Mayor’s Office and Municipal Council to the people who represent Attleboro on Beacon Hill. Read it free online.
How Attleboro’s Government Works
The Mayor
Attleboro’s elected chief executive. The mayor proposes the budget, appoints department heads, can veto Council ordinances, and runs the city’s day-to-day operations.
The Municipal Council
Attleboro’s 11-member legislative body — five at-large and six ward councilors. It adopts ordinances and the budget and can override a mayoral veto.
The School Committee
A separately elected nine-member body that sets school policy and hires the superintendent who runs the Attleboro Public Schools.
- A resident raises a concern — at a Council meeting, with a ward councilor, or through a city department.
- The Mayor or a councilor turns it into a budget request, an ordinance, or an order.
- The Municipal Council debates it in committee and in formal session and votes.
- The Mayor signs or vetoes; the Council can override a veto with a supermajority.
Civic Calendar
- Municipal Council: formal sessions the 1st & 3rd Tuesday of each month at 7 p.m. (3rd Tuesday only in July and August); subcommittees meet the 2nd & 4th Tuesday. City Hall, 77 Park Street.
- School Committee: meets regularly during the school year — see the district calendar for dates and locations.
- City elections: held in odd-numbered years (every two years) on the first Tuesday after the first Monday in November; new terms begin the following January.
- State & federal elections: held in even-numbered years, including the September state primary and November general election.
City Government
- Mayor’s OfficeMeet Mayor Cathleen DeSimone and learn what the city’s chief executive does.
- Municipal CouncilThe 11 councilors who make Attleboro’s laws and budget.
- School CommitteeThe board and superintendent who run the public schools.
- City DepartmentsWho to call for permits, taxes, public works, and more.
- Boards & CommissionsThe volunteer boards that shape planning, conservation, and city life.
Community & Data
- Attleboro HistoryFrom the Wampanoag homeland to the Jewelry Capital of the World.
- LegislatorsWho represents Attleboro on Beacon Hill and in Washington.
- DemographicsWho lives in Attleboro, by the numbers.
- Non-ProfitsOrganizations and food resources serving the community.
- Student DataEnrollment and demographics for the Attleboro Public Schools.
Local government works best when residents take part. Find out who represents you, then reach out.