NEWBURYPORT — Describing it as a decision he “lost sleep over,” Ward 3 City Councilor Heath Granas announced in an email to his colleagues Monday he would not be seeking another term on the City Council.
Granas, who was elected in 2023, called serving on the council an “incredible learning experience.”
“I started off unsure of myself and a bit nervous, but over time, I’ve grown into someone who knows how to get things done and who to reach out when constituents need help,” Granas said.
He said he has thought long and hard about running again, noting that for the most part he has been able to rearrange his work schedule to attend meetings and events but sharing it has “taken a toll.”
“Coordinating work commitments around council meetings, special sessions, community events, ribbon cuttings, flag raisings, parades and everything else hasn’t been easy,” Granas said.
Granas said he is proud of much of what the council has accomplished over the past 18 months, specifically highlighting the changed the zoning at State and High street from commercial to R3 residential, rezoning Low Street to make way for the new recreation center, giving residents a chance to vote on a debt exclusion for the rec. center, passing new zoning rules to comply with MBTA and state laws, including the ADU ordinance, among others.
“And we’re not done—we’ve got some big votes coming up, including Waterfront West,” Granas said.
He said that he has learned that despite being a small city, Newburyport very rarely leaves room for any downtime.
“But I know the city is in good hands. For those of you continuing on Council, thank you for the time, energy, and commitment you put into this role. It often goes unrecognized, but I see it—and I appreciate it,” Granas said.
One person who had been waiting on Granas’ decision before returning papers to run for Ward 3 was School Committee member Brian Callahan.
On the School Committee since 2018, the Warren Street resident explained that he had pulled papers for both Ward 3 and at-large so that he would not have to run against Granas.
Now that Granas has made an official decision, Callahan said he will collect a few more signatures before returning papers for Ward 3.
Asked why he is running, Callahan said he feels the council needs more people on it who understand how the school portion of the city’s budget works.
“The city council as a whole is not as school-friendly as it once had been, so I want to help fix that,” Callahan said.
As of Monday, only Callahan has pulled papers for Ward 5.
Nomination papers must be taken out and returned to the city clerk’s office by Aug. 12 to be on either a potential Sept. 16 preliminary election ballot or in the Nov. 4 municipal election.