View the Worcester HandbookCity Leadership
The City Manager & the Mayor
Worcester splits its executive leadership between two roles. The City Manager is the professional chief executive who runs the city day to day. The Mayor — elected directly by Worcester voters — is the city’s official head and chairs both the City Council and the School Committee.
The City Manager
Eric D. Batista
Eric D. Batista has served as Worcester’s City Manager since December 2022. A graduate of the Worcester Public Schools, he earned a bachelor’s degree from UMass Amherst and an MBA from Assumption College, and rose through City Hall from project manager to Assistant City Manager before his appointment. As City Manager he is appointed by and accountable to the City Council, oversees every department, and prepares the annual budget — which in Fiscal Year 2027 reached the city’s first-ever $1 billion mark.
| 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 was re-elected to an eighth term in November 2025, making him the city’s longest-serving mayor. Unlike many council-manager cities, Worcester elects its mayor directly: Petty also serves as a Councilor-at-Large and chairs both the City Council and the School Committee. A lifelong Worcester resident, he holds a 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 appoints department heads, prepares and manages the budget, signs contracts, and runs daily operations. Hired by the Council and replaceable by it.
- The Mayor sets Council and School Committee agendas as chair, represents the city, and votes on both bodies — but does not run departments or hold a veto.
- Together they balance professional administration with elected accountability — the defining feature of Plan E government.
Contact & Engage
- City Hall: 455 Main Street, Worcester, MA 01608 · open Monday–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.
Want to weigh in on a city decision? Learn how to contact your officials effectively.