Thrilled to be accepted into the Just City Fellowship from @usmayors.org and @gsd.harvard.edu. Alongside 7 other US Mayors I’ll explore how we can better embed our shared justice & equity goals into our work for a more vibrant, inclusive, and thriving #SalemMA. www.gsd.harvard.edu/2026/01/anno...

Great to catch up with Somerville Councilor Will Mbah today! We’re both members of Run on Climate, a national coalition of elected officials striving to address the climate crisis through local action. #SalemMA knows full well how vital this work is for the safety of our community. runonclimate.org

Perfect conditions at the best sledding spot in #SalemMA. 🛷 ❄️

“Be an artist at whatever you do.” Inspiring to see the art & activism celebrating Martin Luther King Jr. Day at PEM. Art has the power to lift up voices & bring people together. Such a fitting way to commemorate Dr. King’s legacy and highlight the work still to be done, including here in #SalemMA.

“Our most fruitful course is to stand firm with courageous determination…and cling to hope.” This Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day, especially, we feel the need for resilience & hear the call for justice. Here in #SalemMA, PEM has programs throughout the day. Details at www.pem.org/events/marti....

“Life's most persistent and urgent question is, 'What are you doing for others?” To kick off MLK Day weekend, I joined volunteers from North Shore NAACP in lending a hand at the Salem Pantry’s North Shore Food Hub. Together, we can make #SalemMA a stronger city for all. northshorenaacp.org

The Salem-Ota Cultural Exchange is seeking host families to volunteer for this year’s important cultural exchange. Community members are encouraged to consider volunteering for this important need. Sign up to be a host family here: forms.gle/D3iyKFC7i2yT.... www.salemma.gov/m/newsflash/...

#SalemMA PowerChoice has already saved residents $22 million on their electric bills and eliminated 186,000 tons of CO2 emissions. With National Grid’s recent rate change coming up February 1, the City’s electricity supply continues to be as much as 12% less expensive. www.salemma.gov/PowerChoice

Everyone in #SalemMA deserves a home they can afford, and this year will see a continuation of our work to achieve that. The Affordable Housing Board held our first meeting of 2026 last night. Lots of great discussion about next steps to take on the Housing Roadmap. www.salemma.gov/532/Affordab...

#SalemMA has again earned the Distinguished Budget Award from the Government Finance Officers Assoc! It’s a great recognition of our commitment to transparency and sound financial management on behalf of our community. Great work by our Finance staff (past and present)! salemma.gov/m/newsflash/...

Pleased to join the Advisory Board for the Frederick E. Berry Institute of Politics at Salem State University. Civic engagement is central to SSU, and SSU is central to #SalemMA. Grateful to help shape the IOP’s efforts as it continues to inspire positive action! www.salemnews.com/news/local_n...

Lots of great questions about the #SalemMA High School project - including about the existing building. For those who haven’t been in the building, here’s a detailed video outlining the issues that prompted the need for the new high school project. vimeo.com/1081976886

“Poet in High Street Park” is a deeply moving collection of original works by City Poet Laureate J.D. Scrimgeour about #SalemMA. As we start Salem 400+, yesterday’s reading and talk at PEM by J.D. about this important work was such a fitting start to this momentous year. www.salem400.org

Salem 400+ kicked off with hundreds coming to the Volunteer Fair, signing up to help keep #SalemMA moving forward with true hearts and purpose high. Salem’s greatness is not just in our past – it’s in our people, and in the possibilities that our future holds. www.salem400.org 📸 Franco Cutietta

No better way to kick off Salem 400+ than a celebration of volunteerism! Hundreds of #SalemMA residents came to launch our quadricentennial in such a quintessentially Salem way: offering to give back to the community!Thanks to the 70+ nonprofits & City team who made it possible. www.salem400.org

Brrrrrrr! Superintendent Zrike & I today did a polar plunge with Mental Makeover to celebrate that #SalemMA kids hit their summer reading goals this past summer! Great job, students! More about MM at mentalmakeovertoday.org & join them for their annual community Polar Plunge Jan 31, Winter Island.

Hope to see you Saturday, 1/10, at #SalemMA High School as we kick off Salem 400+ with a great celebration of community, volunteerism, and fun! Stop by any time between 2pm and 5pm. Discover over 70 community groups and nonprofits that YOU can help to ensure our city stays vibrant and thriving!

Last night the #SalemMA Witches beat Winthrop 50-30 & at halftime we cut the ribbon to celebrate the new parquet floor in the gym! Not only is the new floor safer & better for athletics, it’s removable, so when the new high school project is complete we can install it in another school building. 🏀

On the latest edition of the #SalemMA Compass podcast, I spoke with Gini Cherol - Salem 400+ coordinator - about all that’s coming up in 2026 to celebrate this momentous year and what it means to be a city 400 years in the making. www.salemma.gov/salemcompass

Lots of great questions being asked about the new #SalemMA High School project! Here are some responses to some of the most frequent so far. You can find out more about this transformative and critical project at www.salemma.gov/salemhighschool.

#SalemMA awarded $1.4M for the next phase of the new Ferry Terminal! This project will replace the old “temporary” building with a better facility more reflective of our status as a destination, supportive of transit options, and true to our legacy as a maritime city. www.mass.gov/news/governo...

Honored to be sworn to a new term on MA Seaport Economic Council & grateful for Gov. Healey’s appointment. Whether it’s transportation, recreational boating, tourism, fishing, education, science, or our clean energy future, the maritime economy is central to #SalemMA. www.mass.gov/orgs/seaport...

Today I filed the Order with the City Council to fund our new #SalemMA High School & start the process to accept a ~$200M state grant for it. Salem students deserve a building as excellent as they are, and Salem deserves a flagship school as special as our city is. www.salemma.gov/salemhighschool

#SalemMA is proud to serve as host community for the North Shore Public Health Collaborative. Today we welcomed legislators for a briefing with the team. As a region & a Commonwealth we are committed to evidence-based, scientifically accurate public health approaches. www.northshorepublichealth.com

It’s been 14 years, but I’m excited to have the chance to get back into live theater - and in support of a great new group right here in #SalemMA, as well! Thanks to the Salem Playhouse team for the opportunity! 🎭 www.salemplayhouse.org

The new lockers are in at #SalemMA Fire headquarters! These units are specifically designed to allow air circulation and reduce carcinogenic exposure for our firefighters. We funded these in this year’s capital budget and members of the Fire Department team helped install them over the last weeks.

Last year we expanded our Dual Language program to PreK, to include the youngest learners in #SalemMA. Now, we’re thrilled to extend this terrific program up into the Middle School! salemk12.org/news/cms-dua...

The people of #SalemMA rightly demand and deserve local government that’s centered on community, not chaos - on compassion, not cruelty - and on competence, not vengeance. Because we cannot be great, unless we first are willing to do good. www.salemma.gov/CivicAlerts.... 📸Franco Cutietta

Three years ago today I took out nomination papers to first run for Mayor of my hometown. So honored today to start a new term, to build on the strong foundation that we have & continue moving onward with a shared vision for a safe, affordable, forward-looking #SalemMA for all. 📸 Franco Cutietta

Congratulations to the members of the #SalemMA School Committee and the City Council who took the oath of office this morning. Serving this city - a place we all love deeply - is an incredible honor, and I look forward to working with you all in the months and years ahead!

A big highlight for today’s inaugural ceremonies was lifting up youth voices (literally). Thanks to #SalemMA High School’s Witch Pitch for the national Anthem, Youth Commissioners for leading the Pledge, and to our first Youth Poet Laureate, Liana Galvan, for sharing her original piece “Listen!”

I can’t imagine being able to serve #SalemMA in this role without the love, support, and endless patience of my family. Mom, Dad, Kristin, Lucy, and Rae - thank you for standing by my side and for your enthusiasm and encouragement on this incredible journey!

Congratulations to Councillor Alice Merkl on your election to serve as City Council President for 2026! I look forward to working alongside you, the Council, and our School Committee to continue leading #SalemMA forward in the year ahead!

#SalemMA is a city more than 400 years in the making and ready to face the centuries ahead of it with unity, optimism, and - in the words of Charlotte Forten - “true hearts and purpose high.”

Sat down with Chris Padgett for the revival of his multi-media documentary project Citizen Salem, which seeks to introduce #SalemMA neighbors to one another through informal interviews, video, and photography. Find out more about the project at www.citizensalem.com.

Happy New Year, #SalemMA! As the sun rises on 2026, let’s embark on our 400th year with - in the words of Charlotte Forten - “true hearts and purpose high,” as a city ready for the challenges of the future and working together to shape this special place for the better for all. 📸 Jason Kennedy

LAUNCH, by Salem Main Streets, is such a uniquely #SalemMA approach to celebrating New Year’s Eve, with magic, music, and art! As we wrap up 2025 no better way to close out the year than surrounded by community. Happy New Year’s Eve! www.salemmainstreets.org 📸1: John Andrews/Creative Collective

Tonight we held a run-through for Monday’s inauguration. While this event typically happens at City Hall, for the start of #SalemMA 400+ we wanted to make the moment special. Thanks to PEM for hosting the event in the museum’s breathtaking atrium space. Join us on Monday 10AM for the inauguration!

For the final #SalemMA Compass podcast of 2025, I spoke with Lt. Governor - and former Salem Mayor - Kim Driscoll. We talked about her current work as LG, efforts to address housing and affordability, facing the climate crisis, and plans for Mass250 (and Salem 400+!). salemma.gov/salemcompass

Happy Kwanzaa to all who celebrate! May the principles of the holiday inspire you in the days ahead.

Join us as we inaugurate, not just our City government for the year ahead, but also a new chapter in the history of this remarkable community: our 400th year! In #SalemMA our past is always present, but our future is our own to create. January 5th, 10am, Peabody Essex Museum, free and open to all.

Merry Christmas, #SalemMA! For all who celebrate, may the holiday this year bring you and your loved ones much joy and good cheer! 📸 PurelySalem

Last night was the final School Committee meeting for members Amanda Campbell & Manny Cruz. #SalemMA schools are better for their service and, on behalf of our city and as a Salem Public School parent, I extend my thanks to them both for their years of dedication to our public schools and students!

Last night we gathered at Lappin Park with Jewish community members for the annual Menorah lighting and gelt drop. I hope all who celebrate have had a joyful Hanukkah this year! 🕎

Bravo to the cast, crew, and musicians of #SalemMA High School’s musical production of “The Prom”! Fantastic show all around and great work by the educators and volunteers who helped make it possible.

Lots of good cheer & interesting sweaters at the annual #SalemMA City employee holiday party! We also collected items for the Clothing Connection, and our City team was incredibly generous. www.clothingconnection.org Thanks to Matt & Ryan from the Salem Flea for judging the sweater contest!

Congrats to the latest graduates from #SalemMA High School’s Technical Institute! This innovative adult education program provides community members with access to SHS’s exceptional career and technical education program to further their own potential. spssalemhs.salemk12.org/salem-techni...

The team from the Mayor’s Office & the #SalemMA Youth Commission helped volunteer again at the Pathways for Children Family Resource Center’s holiday gift distribution! Thanks to all the elves who helped out and to the FRC staff for organizing this special event each December. www.pw4c.org/frcsalem

We’re bringing the #SalemMA Heritage Days parade back for our quadricentennial year! This fun event celebrates all that it means to be a diverse, optimistic, and vibrant city, and it’s a great addition to to Salem 400+. www.salem400.org/salem-400-he...

Stopped by the monthly #SalemMA Veterans Coffee this week to talk with local veterans about their insights into our city’s challenges and opportunities, and to express my gratitude for their service to our nation. Find out more about our Veterans Services office at www.salemma.gov/424/Veterans....