Ward 6 City Councilor Mark O’Neill will not seek reelection, he announced Thursday.
O’Neill, who served as council president from 2019 to 2021, made the announcement during the City Council’s regular meeting Thursday night. While he said the decision was not an easy one, he owed it to the residents of Ward 6 to take a step back after taking on additional responsibilities at work that he said made it challenging to balance his City Council responsibilities.
“Representing Ward 6 has been an honor and a privilege,” O’Neill said during the council meeting and in a statement posted to Facebook. “I wanted to serve my neighborhood and this city and was lucky to be given the chance to do that for the last six years.”
O’Neill said he would make his “final remarks” at the council’s meeting at the end of this year.
“Thank you for your support and understanding,” he wrote.
Mayor Edward A. Bettencourt, Jr. said Friday that O’Neill has “always been a true gentleman on the council floor and away from it.”
“Mark has been a strong advocate and voice for Ward 6 and a council leader on neighborhood quality of life issues, infrastructure and parks improvements, and preservation of open space,” Bettencourt said. “I’ve always enjoyed working with him and greatly appreciate his unique sense of humor.”
State Rep. Sally Kerans (D-Danvers) was among those who thanked O’Neill for his service on Facebook.
“You’ve served the people of Ward 6 well and with distinction, integrity and, of course, your signature sense of offbeat and self-deprecating humor — a service unto itself!” wrote Kerans, who represents West Peabody. “Thank you for your support and partnership.”
