NORTH ADAMS, Mass. — Mayor Thomas Bernard on Tuesday announced he would not be running for a third term.

 

Instead, he will focus his efforts on the agenda he'd been re-elected on in 2019 that had been disrupted by the novel coronavirus.

 

"I would rather focus on work, I would rather make my intentions clear now to open the field," he said on Tuesday morning. "And then leave things in as good a shape as I can for the next mayor of the city of North Adams."

 

The mayor planned to inform City Hall of his decision before making a public announcement. 

 

This will be only the second time in nearly 40 years that an incumbent will not be on the ballot in November. 

 

Bernard said his decision has been made over the last several weeks after talking with family, friends and members of his campaign. 

 

Trying to implement policies for fiscal sustainability and address the infrastructure woes of the city while running for office would not be "viable," he said. 

 

"The past couple weeks has really shown that the agenda that we've been been following isn't necessarily where the community wants to go," Bernard said. 

 

He came to the conclusion "that I really would rather do the work right now than put the attention on the end of the campaign."

 

Bernard was elected the city's 26th mayor in a landslide in 2017 and returned to office two years later with 80 percent of the vote. He referred to President Johnson's Great Society in a hopeful inaugural address as the city entered its 125th year.

 

But barely three months into his second two-year term, the nation went into shutdown because of COVID-19, throwing budgets and programs into chaos. 

 

A hiring and spending freeze was in effect for most of last year until a budget could be passed in early fall. Buildings were closed, employees were out for weeks or days because of sickness or exposure from the pandemic and the school system struggled to get the city's children fed, educated and back in the classroom. Even so, the city was able to sell off old properties, make zoning changes, begin looking at renovations for Greylock School and launch a new website.

 

Then the second month into this new year, decades-old problems with the water and hydrant system and public safety building dramatically resurfaced. It was soon apparent that these issues would play a dominant role in the upcoming election.

 

"I'm disappointed that important work hasn't gotten done and now we're doing it in a way that's really reactive," Bernard said. "That's never a good position for any leader or team to start from."

 

The mayor said this year's focus will be on the annual budget, the capital plan and how close the levy ceiling will be as he ends his term. He hasn't spent too much time yet reflecting on his successes.

 

"I'm proud of some of the foundational work that we've done ... the work that isn't necessarily flashy," Bernard said, such as the updating zoning for cannabis — and its future revenue. "I'm really proud to have worked with the team that I've worked with, really good people who do good work day in and day out."

 

Below is the statement released by Bernard shortly before noon: