Councilor· 2023-05-01 – 2029-03-01 (month-level start: first appears on the Town Council roll call of May 2023 (Sept 2023 roster 'Term expires March 2026'), re-elected March 2026; month-level end: city Town Council page 'Term Expires: March 2029')
D.J. Bettencourt
Salem
No biography on file yet.
Voice
- Meetings spoken in
- 14
- Total speaking time
- 1:24:49
- Avg per meeting
- 6:04
- Segments
- 1133
Want every word Bettencourt has said?
The OpenCity MCP for Claude.ai answers questions like “what has Bettencourt said about housing this year” with one prompt — full speaking history, with YouTube timestamps.
Top issues during term (15)(Roads)
2026 Road Program Funding
$2.5 million warrant article — about $125/year on a $500,000 home.
M&E; Bus Route Ridership
The town's requested CART funding is rising significantly, and the program may be dropped next year if alternative funding isn't found.
Salem Rail Trail Phases 4 & 5 and South Broadway Culvert
Not yet determined; a train-rated bridge is expected to be costly.
Pelham Road/Keewaydin Drive Traffic Signal Repair
Funded by $28,432 in Zone 1 traffic impact fees, not property taxes.
Gravel Road Paving (Palm Road)
Paving a single gravel road can consume roughly half of the annual road program budget.
CART Senior Transportation Costs Jump
A $76,000 increase in town funding for the service.
Bridge Street Bridge Cost Overrun
$200,000 drawn from the roadway capital reserve fund.
Town Hall–courthouse footpath
Paid from the DPW budget; the commission pays nothing unless it adds signage.
All-Way Stop at Hampstead/Shannon/Town Farm/Liberty
North Main and Bluff Intersection Status Quo
Route 111/Ermer Road Intersection Safety
No new taxes — the town's $402K share comes from reserves, Zone 3 impact fees, and money already approved in last year's budget.
MeVa Transit Route to Tuscan Village
No Salem tax dollars fund the first year; future costs are undecided.
Rockingham Park Flyover Closure
Barnes & Noble Plaza Traffic
A $1,280 traffic impact fee is required before occupancy.
Discontinuance of Old Haverhill Road Segment
Decisions during term (0)
Recorded while Bettencourt was in office — not necessarily decisions they moved, spoke to, or voted on.
No decisions found matching Roads.
Voting record (0)(Roads)
No votes found matching Roads.