New Beverly Ward 6 City Councilor: 'History In The Making'

BEVERLY, MA — Dominic Copeland is the newest member of the Beverly City Council.

The City Council chose Copeland out of a field of eight applicants Monday night to replace John Frates, who resigned he seat because he is moving out of Ward 6. City Council bylaws state that ward councilors must live in the ward they are representing.

Copeland touted his background in education and business, and his ability to bring diversity to the Council, in announcing his bid for the seat on Nov. 25. He said his vision for the city involves investing in residents and networking to bring in new revenue streams — including hosting sporting events — instead of overly relying on development.

"History in the making," Copeland said in a post on his social media page on Tuesday. "Making a difference that we all need in our Ward 6, in the city of Beverly, in our society.

"Now is our time and we have risen together. All I want to do Ward 6 is get in contact with you. Everybody goes through things sometimes. Everybody struggles. But working together for the ward, for the city, we're going to make a great difference. ... I do not want us to survive what's ahead. I want us to thrive in what's ahead."

He said his selection "restores a lot of faith for a lot of people within our city who we are, what we stand for and what we're about."

"We're taking this moment and we're making it a movement. We're taking this moment and we're making it something great for the future of our city, for our children, for those to come. One day, they'll look back and they'll say that those people, at that time, had the courage to do what was right. They had the courage to take a chance and say 'let's see what happens.' All you can do is give a person an opportunity. And I can tell you that opportunity won't be taken for granted."

City Council bylaws state that the Council members will review applications and vote to approve a replacement in the event of a mid-term vacancy. Nomination papers for the next round of city elections will be available at the Beverly City Clerk's office as of April 1.

"Congratulations to Mr. Dominic Copeland, Beverly's new Ward Six City Councilor," Beverly City Council President Paul Guanci said in a statement. "Wishing you the best over the coming year.

"Also, thank you for all the other seven candidates who stepped up to offer their services. Incredible group of dedicated and committed Beverly residents who want to make a difference in our city."

Copeland's first City Council meeting will be Jan. 4.