New Bedford News

Mayor Mitchell and City Employee Union Reach Agreement

New Bedford, Massachusetts – Mayor Jon Mitchell and the union representing municipal employees, AFSCME Local 851, have successfully negotiated a new collective bargaining agreement.  The total estimated cost of the agreement is $4.2 million over the contract’s three-year term.  The contract applies to 364 positions across city government. The union […]

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Mayor’s Proposal to Establish New Historic Districts Approved by City Council

New Districts Celebrate City’s Role in the Abolition Movement and 19th-century Trades New Bedford, Massachusetts – The City of New Bedford is home to two new historic districts, with the City’s Council’s recent approval of a proposal submitted by Mayor Jon Mitchell to establish Abolition Row and Mechanics Lane as […]

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New Bedford Veterans’ Advisory Board to Hold Ceremony Honoring U.S. Soldiers, Sailors Lost in WWII’s Exercise Tiger

New Bedford, Massachusetts – The City of New Bedford Veterans’ Advisory Board will honor the 749 United States sailors and soldiers who lost their lives during the devastating April 28, 1944 attack on the United States military training operation, Exercise Tiger. Exercise Tiger was a D-Day dry run that was […]

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Court Orders Removal of Collapsing Mill Building

Demolition Will Open the Way for Construction of the Riverwalk New Bedford, Massachusetts – On April 14, Superior Court Judge Thomas F. McGuire, Jr. granted the City’s request to demolish a mill building located at 1 Rear Coffin Avenue after City inspectors deemed the building “unused, uninhabited, and/or abandoned, and […]

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City and HUD Officials Tour Community Development Projects to Celebrate National Community Development Week

Public Encouraged to Comment on City’s Draft CDBG Plan NEW BEDFORD – Mayor Jon Mitchell, the City’s Office of Housing & Community Development (OHCD), and officials from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) New England Region joined with communities across the nation last week in celebrating National […]

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Mayor Mitchell Proposes $1.3 Million for Police Equipment and Fire Facilities

New Bedford, Massachusetts – Mayor Jon Mitchell has proposed more than $1.3 million to purchase new equipment for the Police Department and upgrade Fire Department facilities. The funds come from the Fiscal Year 2022 Free Cash certification, a state-certified use of a municipality’s remaining funds from operations of the previous […]

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City Awarded Federal Homeless Assistance Funds

New Bedford, Massachusetts—Mayor Jon Mitchell announced today that the City of New Bedford has been awarded $2,092,585 in homeless assistance funding by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), as part of a competitive grant process under HUD’s Continuum of Care Program. HUD’s Continuum of Care grants provide […]

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Official fund announced for individuals displaced by rooming house fire

New Bedford, Massachusetts– The City of New Bedford along with non-profit partners including the Inter-Church Council of Greater New Bedford have announced Rise Up For Homes as the official relief fund for individuals displaced by Tuesday’s rooming house fire on Acushnet Avenue. “The fire has abruptly displaced dozens of residents […]

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City Announces 2023 Election Calendar

Nomination Papers Available April 4th New Bedford, Massachusetts – The Board of Election Commissioners advises the public that the 2023 Municipal Election Calendar is now set. Nomination Papers for Local Office will be available starting on Tuesday, April 4th.  The Election Office is located in City Hall, 133 William St. […]

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City Unveils Comprehensive Housing Plan to Stimulate New Development, Reactivate Underutilized Properties, and Relieve Housing Instability and Affordability Concerns

New Bedford, Massachusetts – Mayor Jon Mitchell joined other city officials and community leaders in announcing today Building New Bedford: Strategies to Promote Attainable Housing for All in a Thriving New Bedford, [attached] a comprehensive housing plan that outlines actions the City is taking to stimulate new housing development, reactivate […]

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STREET SWEEPING TO BEGIN STARTING APRIL 6

New Bedford, Massachusetts — The City of New Bedford will be starting its annual street sweeping program on April 6, 2023. There will be no parking on both sides of the street, overnight from 11:50 p.m. Thursday night to 6:00 a.m. Friday morning. Failure to follow the posted street sweeping […]

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S&P Sustains City’s Bond Rating, Citing “Very Strong Management” and Economic Benefits of Offshore Wind Development

New Bedford, Massachusetts – Standard & Poor’s Global Ratings cited “very strong management with strong financial management practices” along with the diversification of the city’s economy with the advent of offshore wind energy projects like Vineyard Wind, in the agency’s decision to award the City of New Bedford a AA/Positive […]

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