MANCHESTER, NH – Ted Gatsas was sworn in to serve a fourth term as the 47^th mayor of the historic New Hampshire city of Manchester.

“I am certainly excited about two more years moving down the path we can get things done,” he told TNH, regarding his reelection.

“Getting the heroin epidemic that we have under control” is his biggest priority, for “the city, the state, and the country.” When people can no longer obtain prescription drugs, he said, they turn to heroin, “and that is something that is truly killing” them.

Mayor Gatsas said the Manchester economy is “doing well. Businesses are moving in” and business as a whole is growing.

Proud of his Greek heritage, which is “very important to me, as is my Lebanese side (his mother’s),” Gatsas wishes the Greek-American community a 2016 filled with “prosperity and health.”

After the oath of office was administered by Manchester Chief of Police Nick Willard during a ceremony at the Palace Theatre, Gatsas encouraged the attendees to “believe in the possibility of tomorrow being better than today.”

He continued: “the citizens of Manchester want solutions. They want to live in a community where they can inspire and be inspired. We have proved it can happen and I am committed to making sure it never stops.”

Titled “Inspiration,” his inaugural address identified four areas where Manchester has made significant progress the last six years: infrastructure, public safety, economic development, and city services. He vowed to dispatch more resources over the next 60 days to advance those initiatives.

Referencing various achievements in education during his tenure as mayor, Gatsas said

“the Manchester School of Technology is a crowning achievement of this district. We will continue to grow the school of technology and the programming, and provide the resources necessary because it is making a difference in your life and the lives of those that will follow you.” That school’s first graduating class served as ushers at the inaugural ceremony. Also regarding education, Gatsas spoke of “new public-private partnerships with area businesses to reward our schools with such things as new technology, building upgrades and staff development. I am excited about bringing this program forward for the 2016/2017 school year and look forward to a district-wide and community-wide celebration of our achievements.”

Focusing on the heroin epidemic and public safety, Gatsas said “when it comes to public safety, our emergency responders are on the front lines and they are doing their very best. However, if we are to end the epidemic, we must work to make our emergency responders our last line of defense, and we do this by making treatment and rehabilitation easily accessible and readily available.”

Mayor Gatsas also made special mention of the recent opening of the Transition Family Place Resource Center and Shelter, which is the first homeless shelter for families and children in the state. He said that “this project represents all that can be good and great when city government, the community and the private sector work together.”

Photos by the Union Leader