New Bedford City Council Summons Mayor Mitchell to Special Meeting Over Fire Station 9
NEW BEDFORD (WBSM) — The New Bedford City Council is requesting Mayor Jon Mitchell’s presence at a special meeting on Tuesday night to discuss the fate of Fire Station 9, but it doesn’t sound like Mitchell plans on attending.
City Council President Ryan Pereira has called a special meeting for Tuesday, September 15 at 6 p.m., just before the regularly-scheduled 7 p.m. meeting of the council’s Committee on Appointments and Briefings.
“I hereby call a special meeting of the city council for Tuesday, September 15, 2026, at 6 p.m. in City Council Chambers, City Hall, with Mayor Jonathan F. Mitchell for the purpose of discussing the future plans for Fire Station #9,” reads the communication from Pereira.
The Political Battle in New Bedford Over Station 9 Funding
On August 25, the city council unanimously approved two appropriation orders to fully fund the restoration of Station 9, which Mayor Jon Mitchell had targeted for closure due to the city’s $32 million budget deficit heading into budget season.
READ MORE: New Bedford City Council Passes Funding to Save Station 9
One order was for $1 million to restore the 26 firefighter positions lost to the station’s impending closure, and the other order was for $300,000 to restore the health insurance and other benefits associated with those positions. State Senator Mark Montigny of New Bedford had previously brought in $500,000 in state funds through a budget amendment solely for the use of funding Station 9.
READ MORE: New Bedford Fire Station Slated for Closure Gets Sudden Lifeline in State Budget
However, the council has said Mayor Mitchell has not indicated to them that he will indeed apply the appropriation orders to Station 9. He is under no legal obligation to do so, despite the council’s wishes, which is why Pereira is seeking to have him join the council for this special meeting.
Mayor’s Office Fires Back at New Bedford City Council
When asked by WBSM, the Mayor’s Office did not say whether or not Mitchell will attend the meeting. City Public Information Officer Jonathan Darling did, however, offer a statement.
“This is yet another stunt by the city council to deflect blame from its chronic failure to control costs that have led to service cuts, including in the fire department,” Darling said. “For years, the mayor warned that the council’s repeated rejection of measures that would have reined in health care and pension costs would lead to service reductions. Now, instead of attempting to fix a problem it helped create, the council seeks to score political points by blaming the mayor for service reductions,”
“In the absence of cooperation from the council, the mayor has been in discussions with the employee unions in the hope of addressing the long-term pressures on the budget and restoring certain services,” he said. “The residents of the city can tell the difference between someone who is trying to solve a problem, and someone who is talking right past it.”
Pereira Fires Counter-Punch Over Negotiations
Pereira provided WBSM with a response to Darling’s statement.
“The Mayor’s Office can name-call and make accusations all they want. The city council is here to work with the administration to restore Station 9, a critically needed fire station, which is what we have been doing right along,” he said. “I personally have asked the mayor how I could be of assistance to help negotiate with the Retirement Board and the PEC Board but he refused for no reason at all. The mayor’s shortcomings with negotiations have now become a frontline issue for our residents. The council, through the budget cut process, and Sen. Montigny have secured enough money in the budget to keep this fire station open for the rest of the year.”
“Enough is enough. Mayor Mitchell, stop this personal vendetta, reopen the fire station, and stop playing political games with people’s lives,” Pereira said.
New Bedford Mayors
Gallery Credit: Tim Weisberg
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