City Leadership
The City Manager & the Mayor
Worcester does something many cities do not: it splits the top job in two. The City Manager is a hired professional who runs the city day to day, controls the departments, and writes the budget. The Mayor, elected directly by Worcester voters, is the city’s public face and chairs both the City Council and the School Committee. Knowing which one to call is the difference between getting a pothole fixed and getting a policy changed.
The City Manager
Eric D. Batista
Eric D. Batista has run Worcester as City Manager since December 2022, the first Latino to hold the job. Born in Puerto Rico and brought to Worcester at age seven, he went through the Worcester Public Schools, earned a degree from UMass Amherst and an MBA from Assumption College, and climbed City Hall from project manager to Assistant City Manager before the Council chose him for the top post. He is hired by and accountable to the Council, runs every department, and writes the annual budget, which for Fiscal Year 2027 crossed $1 billion for the first time in the city’s history. He also oversees the Police Department, which puts him at the center of the city’s ongoing debate over police accountability.
| Role | City Manager (chief executive) |
|---|---|
| In office | Since December 2022 |
| Office | City Hall, 455 Main Street, Worcester, MA 01608 |
| Website | worcesterma.gov |
The Mayor
Joseph M. Petty
Joseph M. Petty has been Mayor of Worcester since January 2012, and in November 2025 voters returned him for an eighth term, making him the longest-serving mayor in the city’s history. Worcester elects its mayor directly, so Petty also holds a Councilor-at-Large seat and chairs both the City Council and the School Committee. A lifelong Worcester resident who first won a council seat back in 1997, he holds a business degree from Nichols College and a law degree from the New England School of Law.
| Role | Mayor & Council Chair (Councilor-at-Large) |
|---|---|
| In office | Mayor since January 2012 |
| Office | Mayor’s Office, City Hall, 455 Main Street |
| Website | worcesterma.gov |
Who Does What
- The City Manager hires department heads, builds and runs the budget, signs contracts, and manages daily operations. The Council hires him, and the Council can replace him.
- The Mayor chairs the Council and School Committee, sets their agendas, represents the city, and votes on both, but does not run departments and holds no veto.
- Together they balance a hired professional against elected accountability, which is the whole idea behind Worcester’s Plan E government.
Contact & Engage
- City Hall: 455 Main Street, Worcester, MA 01608 · open Monday to Friday.
- Mayor’s Office: 508-799-1153 · Mayor@worcesterma.gov.
- Worcester 311: report potholes, missed trash, and other service requests online or by dialing 311.
- Watch: Council and School Committee meetings air on the city’s government channel and stream online.
Sources
Worcester government website (worcesterma.gov). Verified July 2026.
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