EASTHAMPTON — In their second substantial debate this fall, mayoral candidates Nicole LaChapelle and Joy Winnie squared off Thursday over whether Easthampton should be a sanctuary city and took jabs at each other over who came up with the idea to have the city go through an “envisioning process.”
The candidates also discussed their leadership styles, schools and housing at the 90-minute forum held at Easthampton High School before about 100 people.
Both candidates said they are looking to the future and want the community to be a part of the process in shaping Easthampton. Political newcomer LaChapelle, 50, and longtime City Councilor Winnie, 57, want to launch an envisioning process, but have different opinions on how to do it — and whose idea it was.
When asked the first thing she would change in the city if elected, LaChapelle said she’d start by holding what she called a visioning process by visiting residents at different spots throughout the city to hear their thoughts.
“We have done a visioning process in the past and we need to do a new visioning process that actually puts people collecting the data into the community,” LaChapelle said.
Winnie, who has also voiced interest in reopening the visioning process, said, “I’m very glad to hear you say that, you got my idea, that’s awesome.”
Shortly after Easthampton went from a town form of government to a city in 1996, city officials implemented a visioning process. A consultant was hired and community members gathered to discuss goals and plans for the future.
Winnie wants to implement the same process again some two decades later. She said the visioning process was the best thing the city ever did and was the basis for the master plan.
Winnie said she first stated the need for another visioning process at her announcement for mayor in July. She said people will gather like they did years ago, and help create another plan for the future.
“The way we did it 20 years ago is not going to work now,” LaChapelle rebutted, adding that she stated a need for visioning back in June at her mayoral announcement. She said there needs to be a new approach.
LaChapelle said she can bring a fresh perspective to the city and says it’s a quality Easthampton needs to grow.
Some will say Easthampton is separated in the “old” and the “new” in terms of perspective. Winnie said “a lot of people out there think I’m old Easthampton and not visionary to new Easthampton, nothing could be further from the truth. I have many, many ideas to pull Easthampton together and move us forward.”
On the question of whether to designate Easthampton as a sanctuary city, Winnie said she’s against it while LaChapelle welcomes further discussion about the idea.
The sanctuary city designation would prohibit the city’s resources from being used for federal immigration enforcement.
Winnie claims Massachusetts is now a sanctuary state after a recent court decision that local court officers cannot detain someone based solely on immigration status. She added that the city’s police department does not have the resources to tackle federal immigration, nor do they have the energy.
“Easthampton right now is facing an opioid crisis,” Winnie said.
LaChapelle said there needs to be a discussion on the sanctuary city designation. She said when the idea was first brought up in Easthampton the two words “sanctuary city” were “polarized and politicized.”
“The term sanctuary cities is beside the point,” LaChapelle said.
She said there needs to be additional time at a City Council meeting to discuss what it means to be a safe and welcoming community.
When asked why she is a better choice than her opponent, Winnie said she has the experience, especially with the city’s budget where she has reviewed it thoughtfully and carefully.
Throughout the forum, LaChapelle said that she has the leadership, from multiple roles in the workforce, and is comfortable with making tough decisions.
LaChapelle and Winnie both support the construction of a new pre-K through grade 8 school.
Winnie said the project has been talked about for the past 20 years and it needs to happen now. LaChapelle said Easthampton has some of the oldest school buildings in the state.
Both said they support the legalization of recreational marijuana.
“What will marijuana bring to our city? Hopefully some revenue,” Winnie said, adding that she does not smoke it.
LaChapelle said legalized marijuana is a great way to bring local revenue into Easthampton. The city should focus that revenue on strengthening the economy and public services, she said.
The event was hosted by Easthampton Media, the Daily Hampshire Gazette, League of Women Voters and WHMP.
Incumbant Mayor Karen Cadieux will retire at the end of her term. The election is on Tuesday, Nov. 7.
Caitlin Ashworth can be reached at cashworth@gazettenet.com.