NORTHAMPTON — Voters will choose between four City Council hopefuls officially on the ballot for the upcoming preliminary election July 7.
Andrew Smith, Marlene A. Morin, Blue M. Duval and Ryan R. O’Donnell are on the ballot, according to City Clerk Wendy Mazza. The candidates are vying for the at-large seat being vacated by Jesse Adams.
Mazza said she does not yet know the cost of the July 7 election, but she expects it will be close to $20,000.
Every precinct in the city will be open for the preliminary election. The results will narrow the pool to two candidates that will advance to a final election Aug. 4.
O’Donnell, a Ward 3 councilor, would leave his current seat vacant if elected in August. Mazza said bundling a Ward 3 election with the special election is not a possibility because O’Donnell has not resigned yet. She does not expect him to resign because with four candidates, there is no guarantee he will be elected.
“Why would a councilor in Ward 3 hand in his resignation just because he’s running?” Mazza asked. “Depending on the results, the votes could be split.”
According to Mazza, it is “hard to say” what the cost of a Ward 3 election would be because she cannot predict when it will happen or if the city will include a preliminary election. She said the city may bundle the Ward 3 election with the election in November, but until the events of this election unfold she cannot determine the cost or timeline of a Ward 3 election.