Pittsfield City Council President Peter Marchetti declared victory in his bid for mayor late Tuesday, completing his quest to replace outgoing two-term Mayor Linda Tyer.
Marchetti faced former city councilor John Krol in a campaign pitting two long-time figures in city politics. Speaking with WAMC Tuesday night, Marchetti detailed his task list for when he takes office in January.
"Police chief search, a mental health substance use disorder task force and a complete relook at our roads and sidewalks to update our plans so that we have a more proactive plan," said Marchetti.
Marchetti has served eight nonconsecutive terms on the council, and came within less than a percentage point of being mayor in 2011 when he lost to Dan Bianchi.
Late in the race, a federal lawsuit alleged that Marchetti – along with other senior leaders at Pittsfield Cooperative Bank – created a work environment where female employees were regularly discriminated against and harassed. The candidate and bank both dispute the allegations, and Marchetti said an internal investigation had cleared him of wrongdoing at a recent debate.
Krol tells WAMC he’s disappointed with the results, saying he went up against a buzzsaw of a political establishment.
"But we made an impact and I think we changed the direction to some extent of this city and we have a lot to proud of," said Krol.
During the race, Krol was accused of embezzling money from a cat rescue nonprofit, which he denied.
Tyer declined to seek a third four-year term.
