Editing New Bedford, Massachusetts (section)

===City===
[[File:New Bedford MA City Hall.jpg|thumb|upright|New Bedford City Hall]]
New Bedford is governed by a Mayor-Council form of government. City Council members serve two-year terms.<ref name= "Citycode">{{cite web |title=New Bedford- Code of Ordinances- Charter |url=https://library.municode.com/ma/new_bedford/codes/code_of_ordinances?nodeId=CH |website=MC New Bedford, MA |publisher=Municode Library |access-date=August 6, 2021 |archive-date=August 19, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210819171439/https://library.municode.com/ma/new_bedford/codes/code_of_ordinances?nodeId=CH |url-status=live }}</ref> In 2019, following a change in the city charter, the mayoral term was doubled from two years to four years.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Nesi |first1=Ted |title=Mayors in Fall River, Attleboro get challengers; Taunton's is unopposed |url=https://www.wpri.com/news/local-news/se-mass/mayors-in-fall-river-attleboro-get-challengers-tauntons-is-unopposed/ |access-date=August 5, 2021 |work=WPRI |publisher=Nexstar Media Group |date=August 3, 2021 |archive-date=August 14, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210814032222/https://www.wpri.com/news/local-news/se-mass/mayors-in-fall-river-attleboro-get-challengers-tauntons-is-unopposed/ |url-status=live }}</ref> The council<ref name= "Citycode" /> and mayoral positions do not have term limits.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Nesi |first1=Ted |title=At least 5 candidates running for New Bedford mayor |url=https://www.wpri.com/news/local-news/se-mass/5-candidates-running-for-new-bedford-mayor/ |access-date=August 5, 2021 |work=WPRI |publisher=Nexstar Media Group |date=September 3, 2019 |archive-date=August 19, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210819171438/https://www.wpri.com/news/local-news/se-mass/5-candidates-running-for-new-bedford-mayor/ |url-status=live }}</ref>

Former [[assistant U.S. Attorney]] [[Jon Mitchell (politician)|Jonathan F. Mitchell]], defeated State Representative [[Antonio Cabral|Antonio F.D. Cabral]] in the 2011 mayoral election.<ref>{{cite web |author=Dan McDonald |url=http://www.southcoasttoday.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=%2F20111109%2FNEWS%2F111090329%2F-1%2Fnews |title=Mitchell tops Cabral to become 38th mayor of New Bedford |publisher=SouthCoastToday.com |date=November 9, 2011 |access-date=November 19, 2011 |archive-date=September 10, 2012 |archive-url=https://archive.today/20120910000445/http://www.southcoasttoday.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20111109/NEWS/111090329/-1/news |url-status=live }}</ref> Mitchell was re-elected to his fifth consecutive term as mayor in the 2019 election, defeating challenger Tyson Moultrie.<ref>{{cite news |title=Mitchell wins re-election in New Bedford mayor race |url=https://www.wpri.com/news/elections/mitchell-wins-new-bedford-mayor-race/ |access-date=August 5, 2021 |work=WPRI |publisher=Nexstar Media Group |date=November 5, 2019 |archive-date=August 19, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210819171441/https://www.wpri.com/news/elections/mitchell-wins-new-bedford-mayor-race/ |url-status=live }}</ref>

In 2021, Joseph Lopes was re-elected to a second consecutive term as president of the City Council.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Dunlop |first1=Kiernan |title=COVID and Cannabis: Newly re-elected New Bedford Council president discusses big issues for 2021 |url=https://www.southcoasttoday.com/story/news/politics/government/2021/01/12/new-bedford-city-council-re-elects-joseph-lopes-president-covid-cannabis/6642347002/ |access-date=August 5, 2021 |work=South Coast Today |publisher=The Standard-Times |date=January 12, 2021 |archive-date=August 19, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210819171439/https://www.southcoasttoday.com/story/news/politics/government/2021/01/12/new-bedford-city-council-re-elects-joseph-lopes-president-covid-cannabis/6642347002/ |url-status=live }}</ref>

The New Bedford Police Department patrols the city from four stations. The main station is on Rockdale Avenue in a converted supermarket plaza and replaces the former headquarters (located downtown). There are also branches in the North End (at the intersection of Tarkiln Hill Road and Ashley Boulevard), South End (along Cove Street near the end of Route 18), and Downtown (on Pleasant Street near City Hall). The Chief of Police is Joseph Cordeiro.

There are four post offices, the Central (modeled after New York's [[James A. Farley Building|James A. Farley Post Office]]) located downtown, one in the South End, and two in the North End.

The city provides weekly trash and recycling pickup, and operated a trash dump in the Mount Pleasant area between the regional airport and the Whaling City Golf Course. Owing to pollution concerns, it closed in the 1990s.