View the Quincy HandbookCity Leadership
The Mayor’s Office
The Mayor
Thomas P. Koch
When a Quincy street goes unplowed or a new tower rises over Quincy Center, one elected official owns the result. Thomas P. Koch is the chief executive of Quincy under the city’s strong-mayor charter, which makes him responsible for running the city day to day. He oversees every department, appoints most department heads and board members, and builds the budget the City Council then votes on. Koch first took office in January 2008 as the city’s 33rd mayor. Quincy elected its mayors to two-year terms until it moved to four-year terms in 2015, and Koch is now serving his seventh term, which began in January 2024. A Quincy native who grew up in the Wollaston neighborhood and once ran the city’s parks department, he has tied his time in office to a long rebuild of the downtown. Because Quincy hands real power to an elected mayor, when a city service works or fails the responsibility lands on this desk.
| Role | Mayor (chief executive) |
|---|---|
| In office | Since January 2008 |
| Term | Four-year term |
| Office | City Hall, 1305 Hancock Street, Quincy, MA 02169 |
| Phone | 617-376-1990 |
| Hours | Monday to Friday, 8:30 AM to 4:30 PM |
| Website | quincyma.gov |
What the Mayor Does
- Runs the departments. Police, fire, public works, health, parks, and the rest all answer to the Mayor, who appoints their leaders.
- Builds the budget. Each spring the Mayor proposes how the city will spend hundreds of millions of dollars, then sends it to the Council.
- Signs or vetoes. When the Council passes an ordinance, the Mayor can sign it into law or veto it. A two-thirds Council vote can override.
- Chairs the schools. Under the charter the Mayor sits as chair of the School Committee, linking City Hall and the classroom.
The Administration
- Department heads are appointed by the Mayor and carry out policy, from plowing snow to inspecting restaurants.
- The City Council is the check: it must approve the budget and major appointments, and it can override a veto.
- Boards and commissions, most of them appointed by the Mayor, decide questions like zoning, licensing, and historic preservation.
Contact & Engage
- City Hall: 1305 Hancock Street, Quincy, MA 02169. Main line 617-376-1000.
- Mayor’s Office: 617-376-1990, open weekdays 8:30 AM to 4:30 PM.
- Report a problem: potholes, missed trash, and other service requests go through the city’s online Report an Issue tool at quincyma.gov.
- Show up: the Council meets in the Great Hall on the first and third Mondays, and the public is welcome.
Want to weigh in on a city decision? Learn how to contact your officials so they actually hear you.