Longtime City Councilor Marchetti took over the corner office in Pittsfield’s City Hall for a four-year term in 2024.
The mayor highlighted economic development efforts in Berkshire County’s largest community, including the opening of 14 new businesses including a hotel, record store, and arcade.
“Years ago, per the settlement with General Electric, the city received funding that was designated for businesses that plan to create or retain high quality jobs make significant investments into the local economy and have a positive impact on the public," said Marchetti. "In 2025, with the support of the city council, we invested $1.7 million in GE economic development funds in four businesses. These investments will result in the creation of 97 jobs with salaries ranging from $38,000 to $150,000 across a variety of industries.”
Marchetti identified Pittsfield’s ongoing struggle with providing housing for the city’s most vulnerable as a major theme of 2025.
“We are building on the foundation that was put into motion by the prior administration with the American Rescue Plan Act funding," said the mayor. "One hundred sixteen units of new housing have come online or are in the final stages towards opening in the early part of this year. Forty-one new affordable apartments have opened at Terrace 592 and a fully rehabilitated building on North Street. These units will include supportive services, which will focus on ensuring tenancy for residents by addressing root causes of housing insecurity. Thirty-seven units of permanent supportive housing are very close to opening in the first part of the new year — 28 units of a newly constructed building on West Housatonic Street, and nine units were created at Zion Lutheran Church.”
The First, a community center aimed at providing key resources to unhoused Pittsfielders from showers and lockers to a commercial kitchen and access to social services, is also set to open at Zion Lutheran in the coming weeks.
The mayor avoided mentioning the controversial camping ban he proposed to the City Council in the spring that sparked criticism and impassioned debate for the remainder of 2025.
“I and members of my team and representatives from the Board of Health recently visited the City of Northampton to meet with the key officials to learn more about their Division of Community Care, known as the DCC," said Marchetti. "This DCC is a public health led, person centered and trauma informed response and support team that serves as a resource for individuals experiencing homelessness and or substance use related matters. This informative visit will assist us as we reform our process and establish a system that will meet the needs of our homeless population. We are committed to continuing our exploration and implementing models like what Northampton and other communities are using. This will be incorporated within our health department. We are looking at models to help us reduce stigma while also providing the necessary support.”
As mayor, Marchetti also sits on the Pittsfield school committee. He acknowledged that a major change he had opposed on the body is now set to begin unfolding in the coming year.
“At the last meeting of the year, the school committee voted to authorize the superintendent to proceed with the expectation that the middle school restructuring plan would be implemented in the 2026-2027 school year," he said. "With that vote, the superintendent and school committee will need to work with all stakeholders in preparing for this transition.”
Marchetti was the only dissenting vote against the plan to have grades 5 and 6 go to Herberg Middle School and grades 7 and 8 to Reid Middle School, which advocates framed as a measure to guarantee equity to city students of all backgrounds.
“For this restructuring to take place, I need to be sure that all our T's are crossed and all our I's are dotted," said the mayor. "That includes the plans for transportation, teacher and staff coverage, curriculum, content and more. We have a lot of work ahead of us to make this plan a reality, but know when we work together, we can make the necessary improvements for the current and future generations of students.”
Monday’s ceremony also saw At-large Representative Earl Persip elected president of the 11-member City Council, with former President and fellow At-large Councilor Pete White voted in as vice president for the new two-year term.
