City Edition
Bristol County
New Bedford, Massachusetts
Everything you need to understand and take part in local government in New Bedford: the people who run the city, the boards that shape your neighborhood, the legislators who carry your voice to Boston and Washington, and the data that tells the city’s story. Once the whaling capital of the world, “the city that lit the world” is today the Commonwealth’s South Coast hub and one of the most important fishing ports in the nation.
The New Bedford Civics Handbook
New Bedford at a Glance
Sources: Massachusetts DESE, district profile · US Census Bureau (data.census.gov).
- County: Bristol. The South Coast’s largest city, on Buzzards Bay at the mouth of the Acushnet River.
- Government: Plan A strong mayor. Mayor Jon Mitchell (since 2012) leads the city; an eleven-member City Council makes its laws.
- Schools: New Bedford Public Schools, about 12,400 students across 21 schools, led by Superintendent Andrew O’Leary.
How New Bedford’s Government Works
New Bedford operates under a “Plan A” strong mayor charter. Voters elect a Mayor as the city’s chief executive and an eleven-member City Council as its legislature, along with a School Committee. The Mayor runs the departments and proposes the budget; the Council adopts ordinances and the budget; and the two branches share power the way the state and federal governments do.
Mayor
The chief executive, elected city-wide to a four-year term. Runs all departments, prepares the budget, makes appointments, and chairs the School Committee.
City Council
The eleven-member legislative body, five at-large and six by ward, sets policy, passes ordinances, and adopts the budget.
School Committee
Seven members set school policy and the district budget. The Mayor chairs the committee, and the public elects the rest.
- Residents elect the Mayor, the eleven councilors, and the School Committee.
- The Mayor runs the city day to day and proposes the budget.
- The Council adopts ordinances, the budget, and the Mayor’s major appointments.
- You take part through public comment, board service, and contacting your ward councilor.
Explore the New Bedford Edition
- Mayor’s OfficeThe city’s chief executive
- City CouncilYour eleven councilors
- School CommitteeSuperintendent & committee
- City DepartmentsWho does what at City Hall
- Boards & CommissionsWhere residents serve
- LegislatorsYour voice in Boston & D.C.
- New Bedford HistoryFrom whaling capital to today
- DemographicsWho lives in New Bedford
- Non-ProfitsCommunity organizations
- Student DataNew Bedford Public Schools by the numbers
Civic Calendar
- City Council: meets in the Council Chamber at City Hall, 133 William Street; the City Clerk posts each agenda in advance.
- School Committee: meets twice monthly; agendas are posted by the district.
- Municipal elections: odd-numbered years (next November 2027); Mayor, Council, and School Committee seats.
- State and federal elections: even-numbered years. The 2026 primary and general are this fall.
Your County Officials
Two of the people with the most direct power over your life are elected countywide. The district attorney decides who gets charged with a crime, and what they get charged with. The sheriff runs the county jail. Both of them answer to the voters of Bristol County, and that includes New Bedford. They appear on your ballot. Now you know what to look for.
Every county in Massachusetts elects its own, and the job is the same everywhere: the charging decisions, the jail. Look up any town in the state and see who holds these two offices there.
Your First Civic Action in New Bedford
You do not have to wait until you can vote to be heard. Here is a concrete path from “I care about this” to “I said it on the record to the people who decide,” using rooms and phone numbers that are already open to you.
- Pick the right body. A park, a road, a pothole, taxes, or a line in the city budget is City Council territory. Your school, a class, a program, or the school calendar belongs to the School Committee.
- Find the meeting. The City Council meets in the Council Chamber at City Hall, 133 William Street, and the City Clerk posts each agenda in advance at newbedford-ma.gov. The School Committee, chaired by the Mayor, meets twice a month, with its agendas posted by the district.
- Know your councillors. New Bedford has eleven councilors. Six are elected by ward, one tied to your own neighborhood, and five are at-large councilors who answer to the whole city. City Clerk Dennis W. Farias staffs the Council and its agenda, and you can reach that office through City Hall at 508-979-1400.
- Speak. Both the Council and the School Committee open their meetings to public comment. You sign up, you get your minutes, and you say your piece on the record.
- Or skip the trip. Report a pothole, a broken streetlight, or a missed trash pickup any time through New Bedford 311, the city’s NBConnected system, by dialing 311, or call City Hall at 508-979-1400.
- City Hall (main line): 508-979-1400
- New Bedford Public Schools: 508-997-4511, newbedfordschools.org
Local government works best when residents show up. Find your ward councilor, speak at a meeting, or apply to serve on a board.
Sources
This guide draws on public sources, refreshed July 2026: U.S. Census Bureau, Massachusetts DESE School and District Profiles, Massachusetts Legislature (malegislature.gov), and the official New Bedford government website.