Stephanie Peach To Preside Over Peabody City Council In 2024

PEABODY, MA — Two years after Stephanie Peach was elected as part of what she told Patch was a "next generation" of political leadership in the city, the 32-year-old was unanimously chosen as the City Council president at the city's annual inauguration and government reorganization on Tuesday night.

The 2009 Peabody Veterans alumna won 61 percent of the vote when she first ran for the Council in 2021 and ran opposed this past fall.

Upon her first election in 2021, Peach told Patch in an interview that her victory indicated that "the city is ready for a change and that the next generation is starting to move in and be heard."

(Also on Patch: 'A Very Bright Future In Peabody': Mayor Delivers Inaugural Address)

"As a Council, we strive to set policy, procedures and approve projects that will elevate our community and set future generations up for success," Peach said. "As we close the doors on 2023, I specifically look back at the Council approving land purchases to preserve open space and supporting the application for a new high school — both of which I believe will be significant to the future of this city."

She said her priorities will be to oversee the completion of the city charter review that began in 2023 and help steer the Vision 2035 master plan for the city.

"As I look forward to 2024 I am excited and hopeful that we will have an updated and operational charter and a 20-year master plan to end the year," Peach said. "I look forward to the vision and the policies that this Council puts forward to support the future of this city."

She said she looks forward to welcoming respectful debate and commentary to the 2024 Council hearings and meetings from both fellow Councilors and the public.

"I pledge to be a fair and transparent president," Peach said. "While it might not make for the best TV it does make for the best government."

Peach also got emotional as she thanked her family for their support as she represents residents of the city.

"This job is a lot more than what you see on TV every two weeks," she said. "Without my family's support, I would not be able to do what I love, which is serving my community."

(Scott Souza is a Patch field editor covering Beverly, Danvers, Marblehead, Peabody, Salem and Swampscott. He can be reached at Scott.Souza@Patch.com. X/Twitter: @Scott_Souza.)