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Declan McCacran sworn in as Portsmouth mayor; councilors and commissioners take oaths
Summary
At an inaugural ceremony at Portsmouth City Hall, Declan McCacran was sworn in as mayor and dozens of councilors, school board members and commissioners took oaths of office. Speakers stressed housing, climate resilience and public service; U.S. Rep. Chris Pappas and State Sen. Rebecca Perkins Cuoco offered congratulations.
Declan McCacran was sworn in as mayor of Portsmouth at an inaugural ceremony at Portsmouth City Hall, where city, school and commission officials took oaths of office and delivered brief remarks.
The ceremony included an invocation by Reverend Dr. Gerald Riggins of New Hope Baptist Church, the posting of colors by Portsmouth Fire and Police honor guards, a performance of the Star-Spangled Banner by Angeline Henson and roll call administered by City Clerk Kelly Barnaby. State Sen. Rebecca Perkins Cuoco and U.S. Rep. Chris Pappas offered congratulatory remarks; staffers read letters from U.S. Sens. Maggie Hassan and Jean Shaheen.
Why it matters: The newly sworn mayor and council will begin a term focused on housing production, affordability and climate resilience, priorities highlighted during the speeches. The event formally placed the city’s elected leadership in position to address those agenda items.
Key details: Kelly Barnaby administered oaths for multiple offices. Those sworn included police commissioners Buzz Shear and Jay Lieberman and school board members Lisa Rapoport, Steve Adler, Nancy Noveline Klayberg, Brian French and Jennifer Shumpp. City councilors sworn included Kate Cook, John Tabor, Rich Blaylock, Andrew Babblee, Beth Moreau, Michelle Flynn and Annie Hopkins; Joanna Kelly was sworn as assistant mayor. The mayor’s oath was recited publicly following the clerk’s administration.
U.S. Rep. Chris Pappas, in remarks to the audience, urged the city’s newly sworn leaders to prioritize local solutions to pressing problems. "I urge you all to listen, to lead with compassion, to always put people first," Pappas said, naming housing, addiction and climate resilience among the challenges he said Portsmouth faces.
In his inaugural address, Mayor McCacran cited local housing initiatives as an example of what he called "progress" when a city acts. He pointed to measures to speed housing approvals and to create a housing trust as steps the city has taken to expand supply and protect affordability. "We did not just talk about housing. We changed the rules holding it back," McCacran said, and urged sustained citizen engagement and collaboration among boards and commissions.
The mayor also highlighted investments in services, tax relief for seniors and veterans and climate resilience measures as priorities for the term. He described public service as a responsibility and asked residents to remain engaged to hold leaders accountable.
The ceremony concluded with a benediction from Reverend Riggins and a motion to adjourn, which was seconded and approved by voice vote.
What’s next: The new council and mayor take office with a short-term agenda that the mayor and visiting officials framed around housing, fiscal stewardship and infrastructure; no formal policy votes were recorded during the ceremony.
