EASTHAMPTON — Ranked-choice voting and longer mayoral terms may soon be a reality in Easthampton after the City Council unanimously agreed Wednesday to put three ballot questions to voters in November — bringing the total number of proposals to four.
In a special meeting, the City Council voted 7-0 to place two questions on the Nov. 5 ballot that would implement ranked-choice voting for district city councilors and the mayor, along with another proposition that lengthens the mayor’s term from two years to four. At-Large Councilor Margaret “Peg” Conniff and District 1 Councilor James “JP” Kwiecinski were absent from the session.
In addition to the three ballot questions approved this week, voters will also decide on a non-binding proposal that would give city officials the option to create a municipal light plant, a city-owned entity empowered under state law to provide utilities such as gas, electricity and internet to residents and businesses.
“I came in with tempered expectations on what to expect but I am very pleasantly surprised. I think it is a sign of how dynamic and engaged Easthampton is as a city,” Peake said of the ballot initiatives.
Peake, who became a councilor in 2018 and is currently running unopposed for re-election, spearheaded the campaign to put ranked-choice voting and a municipal light plant to voters and served on the charter review committee. He said he did not originally anticipate both of his projects being on the ballot this year, although he did expect to start conversations and raise awareness on the subject.
“It feels like I’m running unopposed, but my ideas aren’t,” he said.
Because implementing new voting procedures and mayoral terms would require an amendment to the city charter, Peake said officials petitioned the state Legislature for a “home rule amendment,” which would change the charter subject to voter ratification.
Easthampton’s state representatives, Rep. Daniel Carey, D-Easthampton, and Sen. Donald Humason, R-Westfield, introduced the bill in their respective chambers. The Legislature passed the amendment and Gov. Charlie Baker signed it into law Tuesday.
In ranked-choice voting, the candidate with a majority of votes wins. If no candidate receives 50 percent, then the candidate with the least vote share is eliminated. Those who cast their vote for the eliminated candidate will then have their votes moved to their second choice, and so on until a majority vote share is reached. Residents will vote on this for the mayor and district city councilors — not at-large seats — and, if passed, the new voting procedures would begin in November 2021.
Following in the footsteps of neighboring Northampton and Holyoke, voters will also decide on lengthening the mayor’s term from two years to four years, a proposal that would take effect in November 2021. Mayor Nicole LaChapelle, who is running unopposed for re-election, said earlier that she supports the initiative.
Peake said he’s “cautiously optimistic” about whether voters will choose to endorse ranked-choice voting and the municipal light plant.
“I think the ideas will win on their merit,” he said.
The full text of the ballot questions can be found on the city’s website, and voters have until Oct. 16 to register to vote for the Nov. 5 election.
Michael Connors can be reached at mconnors@gazettenet.com.