AMHERST — Incumbent at-large councilors Mandi Jo Hanneke and Andy Steinberg are joined by challengers Vira Douangmany-Cage, Bob Greeney, Vince O’Connor and Ellisha Walker in vying for three seats on the Town Council at the Nov. 2 town election.
There are three at-large seats on the 13-member Town Council. Incumbent at-large councilor Alisa Brewer chose not to run for reelection. There are also two additional council races in districts 3 and 4.
Walker said authentic representation for people throughout Amherst, including Black, Indigenous and people of color (BIPOC), is her objective in seeking an at-large seat on the Town Council.
“I want to leave a legacy of amplifying the voices of BIPOC, immigrant, low-income, first-time homebuyer, renter and other traditionally marginalized community members who have long been disengaged by town government but are most impacted by the decisions our council makes,” Walker said.
Walker, who grew up in Amherst and is now raising her family in town, said she believes in building momentum for what is working and improving what is not. In particular, she said councilors should invest in what she describes as an inclusive way to allocate the town’s budget and resources, finding community-based solutions to capital projects, education and infrastructure, and identifying resources for those experiencing mental health, abuse, addiction, and other crises.
Walker said she would prioritize funding for a multicultural center, a youth empowerment center and the community responders program, an alternative to police, and meet the staffing needs of the Fire department.
“I want Amherst to be as inclusive and equitable as possible and a place where everyone can live, work, learn and thrive,” Walker said.
The inaugural Town Council has made commitments to equity through community participation and social justice, but hasn’t yet gotten there, Walker said. “In order to achieve this, the council must invest time and resources in providing accessible solutions and lowering barriers to equity for those most marginalized in the community,” she said.
Steinberg said Amherst is a special community that needs a government that works, and he brings 25 years of experience in local government.
“I am running for reelection because my experience will contribute to our government and assure that it works for the benefit of all residents,” Steinberg said.
Steinberg said he understands that Amherst wants to do many important things, including four capital building projects, including a new elementary school and renovated Jones Library, and to accomplish that an enhanced tax base is necessary.
“The logical area for significant new growth is from downtown,” Steinberg said. “As we do so, we need consensus on our vision of downtown and have businesses that will invest in that vision. Maximizing tax revenue while preserving the town we value is one of our greatest challenges.”
Steinberg is pleased with the work done during the council’s first three years and its focus on Amherst’s quality of life, but says that to achieve this vision councilors must protect and enhance municipal services, including public schools, and achieve social justice and an inclusive community.
“My goals are to make Amherst socially just, preserve the community that we value, and support management that provides the services we need,” Steinberg said. “Amherst cannot fulfill this vision without achieving its housing and its energy and climate action goals.”
O’Connor cited his experience on town committees and being a Town Meeting member where he sponsored articles focused on affordable housing, public transportation, the environment and human rights, in a statement he recorded for Amherst Media.
“The two incumbent councilors at large have failed this community,” O’Connor said. “They wrongly believe and have voted as though demolishing the fully accessible 1990s addition library is more important than replacing a 50-year-old elementary school, Fort River, that was obsolete the day it was opened.
“They also wrongly believe that Amherst taxpayers’ pockets are bottomless and that we can afford to build a new headquarters for every town department,” O’Connor said.
O’Connor said as a councilor he would support affordable housing and a restructured police department to deal with ongoing day-to-day injustices, and make sure K-12 education is paramount.
“The council must become the body that focuses on housing and education for our 12-month-a-year residents,” O’Connor said.
Hanneke said she has enjoyed the challenge of governing for the past three years and finds there is still more to accomplish.
“I want to continue addressing the housing crisis in Amherst by proposing legislation and working with the town manager to begin addressing the many challenges that lead to our housing crisis,” Hanneke said. “I want to continue our work on funding the four major capital projects. I want to make progress on making Amherst a more equitable town. And I want to continue moving Amherst toward being a carbon neutral town by 2050.”
Achievements during her tenure have included being the co-sponsor of employee wage protection legislation, supporting an inclusionary zoning bylaw requiring affordable housing in all new residential developments of 10 units or more, endorsing climate action initiatives, and creating a community responders program that can supplement police.
Beyond the housing crisis, Hanneke said Amherst faces big challenges, with its operating budget and the capital needs of four major building projects.
“Overall, the first three years of the Town Council have gone well,” Hanneke said, adding that councilors must find ways to reduce the time commitment and better engage the public. “As with any venture, there have been challenges and successes.”
Greeney said his interest in serving on the Town Council is to make sure it has differing views represented.
“I am not running because I am against anything,” Greeney said. “I am running because I am in favor of broad inclusion and participation that will lead to a stronger sense of unity and community and better outcomes in all areas.”
Greeney said he is concerned that a sizable minority is being excluded from decisions, pointing to appointments to the Planning Board, and that this leads to divisiveness, delays in getting things done and diminishes the quality of outcomes. Greeney argues that this exclusionary approach caused the elementary school project to be defeated four years ago, has led to concerns over the Jones Library project, and has resulted in having mixed-use buildings downtown that are diminishing the ambiance and character of Amherst.
He adheres to a concept that the wisdom of the many is superior to the wisdom of the few.
“The council and councilors have worked hard, but they need to be more welcoming to people with divergent ideas,” Greeney said. “Current ideas for zoning changes and incentives to diversify development lacks the creativity of a broader collective wisdom.”
Douangmany-Cage, who previously served on the School Committee, said she is interested in having wholesale changes on the Town Council.
“I am running to unseat incumbents who play fast and loose with climate and social justice,” Douangmany-Cage said.
Douangmany-Cage said she would rein in spending on items that are not needed and instead turn attention to sidewalks, bike paths and maintained trails, and well-funded education. She also supports better outreach to the community.
“There’s been a whole lot of lip service around increasing community engagement, but when committees like the Community Safety Working Group present proposals, or there is a citizen petition seeking a building moratorium, or a motion for increasing transparency in Town Council affairs, there is little respect or movement,” Douangmany-Cage said.
Amherst would be more vibrant, she said, if its leaders listened to a broader spectrum of residents.
“The art and culture scene in Amherst needs to be infused with the art and culture reflecting the whole of our community, not just appealing to the descendants of Emily (Dickinson), Robert (Frost) and Jeffery (Amherst),” Douangmany Cage said. “Our problem has been we have relied on the same dozen people to solve our cultural and economic development woes.”
Douangmany-Cage said she is disappointed with the new form of government because it is weighted on the side of developer interests. “At least with Town Meeting, more people had a vote about cuts to the school budget and the inclination to restore what was on the chopping block,” Douangmany-Cage said.
Scott Merzbach can be reached at smerzbach@gazettenet.com.
