There have been many accolades for the current mayor in recent issues of the Gazette. While she and her supporters like to highlight her many accomplishments, what troubles me is the singular lack of accomplishment in basic city services. Roads, schools, sidewalks, huge increase in water bills despite Coca Cola’s continued tenure, a Picture Main Street project that will divert traffic onto side streets and pulverize downtown business, an unresponsive Department of Public Works during winter storms. And do we even need a resiliency hub when essential services are already provided by many capable
agencies?
Personally I don’t like being told that I don’t need a car or a parking spot. I also don’t like neighborhood communities being fractured by high-end developers planning to build towers of seriously unaffordable housing. Most troubling though, is the disdain given to the public during comment sessions at meetings during which it is painfully obvious that our comments are not welcome.
Why can’t we have tax bills that tell us exactly where our money is going? Why can’t we have stellar schools in a community of highly educated residents who prioritize education? Why can’t we have recycling and trash and brush pick up (as other towns do) instead of higher fees and fewer hours at the transfer station? Why can’t we have outdoor municipal swimming pools (Amherst has two) as climate change closes beaches? Why don’t we celebrate our students with a parade when they graduate like the town of Camden, Maine does? Why can’t we incubate and support small business and attract new small scale ventures to join our industrial park?
We are lucky to have an historic election ahead of us in which more candidates than ever before are running for office. Let’s make a powerful statement, Northampton, and elect officials who will open doors to listen and work with us. Let’s put our important votes to good use. This great little city has a lot of work to do to get its vibrancy back. Let’s get to work now.
Jane Potter
Northampton