Local News
Hedlund, who also served as a state senator for 21 years, will step down from his position effective July 15. He did not give a reason for leaving his four-year term early.
The mayor of Weymouth, a long-time public servant, is resigning after nearly a decade in the role, he said in a social media post.
Robert Hedlund has served as mayor of the South Shore city for nine and a half years, he said in a “Thank you” note shared on Facebook Tuesday evening.
“It is with profound gratitude and appreciation that I have made the difficult decision to step down as Mayor of Weymouth,” Hedlund wrote. “I am confident that I am leaving Weymouth in very good hands and that the future will only continue to get brighter.”
Before his time as mayor, Hedlund also served for 21 years as a Republican state senator. From 1995 through 2016, he represented Duxbury, Hingham, Hull, Marshfield, Norwell, Scituate, Cohasset, and Weymouth.
His resignation is effective July 15, two and a half years before the end of his fourth term. Hedlund did not give a reason for stepping down.
Hedlund was elected as Weymouth’s third mayor in 2015 after the city changed the town charter to form a city in 1999.
Chief of Staff Ted Langill will stay on after Hedlund resigns, and Town Council President Michael Molisse will take over as acting mayor, according to Hedlund, in lieu of a special election. Molisse did not return a request for comment Tuesday evening.
The election to replace Hedlund will take place in November in conjunction with the Town Council races, the mayor said.
“This will preclude the need for additional costs that would have been necessary with a special election,” Hedlund wrote.
In his message, Hedlund lauded his staff and city workers as “some of the most dedicated and hardworking people.”
“While I am leaving the office of Mayor, I maintain my deep interest in what happens in town,” Hedlund wrote. “I will remain an engaged citizen of Weymouth and available for advice should I be asked.”
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