As longtime residents of Northampton who are very invested in the future governance of a city we love, we are delighted that strong, positive, forward-looking candidates are running for elected office in November. These are tough times for small municipalities like ours, with curtailed state and federal assistance, and so we extend our gratitude to all these community leaders who are willing to serve our city. We will be voting for candidates who share our love for Northampton and who, we believe, will govern with wisdom, skill, compassion, and respect for all members of our community.
For mayor, we will be voting for Gina-Louise Sciarra to serve again in that capacity. Mayor Sciarra is the only candidate with any experience in municipal government and management of a $145 million city budget. She has delivered positive benefits for Northampton: facilitating the construction of 282 new affordable housing units, helping nearly 1,700 people in distress through our new Division of Community Care, and cutting municipal building energy consumption by almost 20% as part of our new climate department.
We get to vote for two at-large City Council members, and we will be voting for Garrick Perry and Benjamin Spencer for those seats. Garrick has proved his dedication to Northampton with his energetic, buoyant service as one of our current at-large councilors and his support for local arts and culture. Recently, he helped resolve a contentious debate over public school funding with a successful motion for a mid-year appropriation of nearly $300,000. Benjamin is a model citizen-activist who has shown how to effect positive change by organizing residents and constructively engaging with city officials.
We will also be writing in Megan Wolf for Ward 4 School Committee member. Megan, the parent of two kids at NHS, is a skilled administrator and education advocate who will bring an informed, collaborative voice to School Committee meetings.
Andrea Ayvazian and Michael Klare
Northampton