New Bedford City Council Shrinks Committees Under Pereira’s 2026 Plan

NEW BEDFORD (WBSM) — New Bedford City Council President Ryan Pereira has released the 2026 committee assignments, most of which have been reduced in size as part of Pereira’s plan for greater efficiency and effectiveness.

However, those committees that perform the core functions of the City Council – Finance, Ordinance, City Property, Appointments and Briefings, and Public Safety – will remain committees of the whole.

Council President Pereira has also created a new committee, and opted to rename another to better reflect the work it does in 2026.

Why Pereira Reduced Committee Sizes

In his first weekly appearance as Council President on WBSM on January 12, Pereira explained why he was seeking to shrink some committees to just five members.

“There are quite a bit of committees of the whole, some of these committees are true fact-finding committees on various issues that might influence our votes in other larger committees,” he said. “The idea is these fact-finding committees, downsizing them so they can quickly achieve a quorum, be called rather quickly, and might be able to be held prior or after other committee meetings, kind of piggybacking so it’s an easier way to get a quorum, stacking them to make it a little more efficient.”

Pereira said that organizing only five people will mean these committees can “mobilize quickly and get some stuff done rather quickly as problems arise.”

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It will also make the work of those committees more impactful.

“Your vote means more. You’re now one of five instead of one of 11. Your vote is weighted more,” he said. “Smaller committees provide a better forum for certain discussions and certain votes.”

One New Committee, One Newly-Renamed Committee for 2026

Pereira has also created a new committee, Special Permits and Licensing.

“This new committee has been created to help business owners obtain licenses and permits quicker with a goal of reducing the wait time of several months to several weeks,” according to a release.

He has also renamed the Labor and Industry Committee to Economic Development, “to more align with 21st Century approaches to fostering economic growth in New Bedford.”

Economic Development: The Labor and Industry Committee has been renamed to Economic Development Committee to more align with 21st Century approaches to fostering economic growth in New Bedford.

New Bedford City Council Committee Assignments 2026

Standing Committees of the City Council

• APPOINTMENTS & BRIEFINGS: Councilor Naomi Carney, Chair; Leo Choquette, Vice-Chair; Ian Abreu, Derek Baptiste, Shane Burgo, Brian Gomes, Joseph Lopes, Shawn Oliver, Scott Pemberton, Ryan Pereira and James Roy
• AUDIT: Councilor Oliver, Chair; Lopes, Vice-Chair; Carney, Choquette and Pereira
• CITY PROPERTY: Councilor Oliver, Chair; Abreu, Vice-Chair; Baptiste, Burgo, Carney, Choquette, Gomes, Lopes, Pemberton, Pereira and Roy
• ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT: Councilor Choquette, Chair; Abreu, Vice-Chair; Baptiste, Carney and Pemberton
• FINANCE: Councilor Lopes, Chair; Baptiste, Vice-Chair; Abreu, Burgo, Carney, Choquette, Gomes, Oliver, Pemberton, Pereira and Roy
• FISHERIES: Councilor Baptiste, Chair; Carney, Vice-Chair; Choquette, Gomes and Roy
• INTERNAL AFFAIRS: Councilor Gomes, Chair; Burgo, Vice-Chair; Abreu, Choquette and Pereira
• ORDINANCES: Councilor Burgo, Chair; Carney, Vice-Chair; Abreu, Baptiste, Choquette, Gomes, Lopes, Oliver, Pemberton, Pereira and Roy
• PUBLIC SAFETY & NEIGHBORHOODS: Councilor Gomes, Chair; Oliver, Vice-Chair; Abreu, Baptiste, Burgo, Carney, Choquette, Lopes, Pemberton, Pereira and Roy
• VETERANS AFFAIRS, ELDERLY, YOUTH, HEALTH, HOUSING & DISABILITY ISSUES: Councilor Baptiste, Chair; Pemberton, Vice-Chair; Burgo, Choquette and Lopes

Special Committees of the City Council

• AIRPORT: Councilor Choquette, Chair; Pemberton, Vice-Chair; Lopes, Oliver and Roy
• ENVIRONMENTAL AFFAIRS: Councilor Abreu, Chair; Roy, Vice-Chair; Choquette, Gomes and Pereira
• HOUSING: Councilor Burgo, Chair; Roy, Vice-Chair; Abreu, Oliver and Pereira
• MEMORIALS & DEDICATIONS: Councilor Baptiste, Chair; Burgo, Vice-Chair; Choquette, Oliver and Roy
• SPECIAL PERMITS & LICENSING: Councilor Abreu, Chair; Choquette, Vice-Chair; Carney, Lopes and Pemberton

Councilor Assignments to Other City of New Bedford Boards and Commissions

• TRAFFIC COMMISSION: Councilors Gomes and Oliver
• WATER BOARD: Councilor Carney
• ENERGY RESOURCE COMMISSION: Councilor Pemberton
• CONDOMINIUM REVIEW BOARD: Councilor Oliver
• SCHOOL TRAFFIC COMMITTEE: Councilor Roy
• EXHIBITION HALL COMMITTEE: Councilor Lopes
• SIGN DESIGN REVIEW BOARD: Councilor Burgo
• MAYOR’S YOUTH COUNCIL: Councilor Baptiste
• TIF BOARD: Councilor Pereira
• ALTERNATE: Councilor Lopes