NORTHAMPTON — Two candidates are now competing for the at-large City Council seat vacated by Jesse Adams, who resigned Friday.
A special election is scheduled for Aug. 4 and the winner will be sworn in immediately. If there are three or more candidates, a preliminary election would be held July 7 to reduce the field to two.
Ward 3 Councilor Ryan O’Donnell, the council vice president, took out nomination papers and started collecting signatures Tuesday and said he would not resign from his current post unless he wins the at-large seat.
“I’ve talked about this with people and I wouldn’t want Ward 3 to go without representation for three months just to accommodate my campaign,” said O’Donnell, adding that he is already well on his way to getting the 100 signatures needed. “There’s so much going on very quickly.”
Meanwhile, Andrew Smith, 37, of 10 Myrtle St., told the Gazette Tuesday evening of his plan to take out nomination papers on Wednesday.
Candidates have until May 18 to take out and return signed papers.
If a a preliminary election is needed, the cost to replace Adams could be as much as $40,000, City Council President William H. Dwight said.
Dwight said this vacancy is the first under the new charter and it revealed some flaws in the language for special elections.
“There were various deadlines that were prescribed that simply couldn’t be met,” said Dwight, adding that counting back from the 90-day deadline for the special election only left one day for candidates to collect signatures. “It would have been virtually impossible, even for Ryan O’Donnell.”
“We had to override the charter and appeal to the Legislature,” said Dwight. “Stuck with an intractable problem because of bad math, they’re not going to put the kibosh on our election.”
Smith, who serves on the public shade tree commission, works as the conservation and sustainability director in Holyoke. Smith said he’s long wanted to fuse his work as a policy planner with City Council responsibilities, which is why he chose not to live and work in the same city.
Smith, who has a master’s degree in environmental planning from the University of Massachusetts Amherst, said his background in planning would help him make decisions on the City Council.
“People want to have variety in an urban setting,” he said. “I think we could foster that with small changes in how we regulate our downtown.”
Smith said “micro-shifts” in downtown decision-making, such as loosening prohibitive restrictions on food carts, can go a long way toward bringing the city forward. Smith said that while “short-sighted” decisions such as placing the city’s Parks & Recreation Department in modular buildings at JFK Middle School could use some adjusting, there are many positive things happening that he’s eager to help with, like the overhaul of Pulaski Park.
“There’s a lot of great stuff that’s happening,” said Smith. “I really care and I’d like to help things along.”
Smith moved to the area from Tennessee in 2001.
“What I like about the area is that it’s rooted in the past and not afraid of the future, and there aren’t many places like that,” Smith said. “People in the south are still fighting the Civil War, so it’s different to be in a place where you’re not a prisoner of history and can feel optimistic about the changes coming.”
Adams said that while he’s concerned for the direction of the city and the denial surrounding downtown decline, his decision to step down was purely about time.
“I’ve put more and more time into council as time goes on,” he said, adding that as the sole attorney among its members he put in a lot of hours reviewing measures. “It’s just become too much — there were times when I went straight from jury trial verdicts to council.”
Adams’ resignation comes on the heels of a string of dissent, including a vote on controversial increases to water and sewer rates he considered too tough on city businesses. He cast the sole vote in opposition.
“When I first ran I said I’d be an independent voice,” said Adams. “And I lived up to that — I’ve always voted based on what I’ve believed and not which way I thought the majority was going.”
Adams said there should be more dissent.
“I don’t think there are enough split votes,” said Adams. “In previous councils there were more — 8-1 votes are not indicative of the diversity of mind in the city.”
Adams said he’s not leaving because he was often in the minority — “I’ll miss that” — but because it’s the best choice for his family. Adams is newly married and he and his wife, Emily Adams, are considering children.
“No vote has ever led to a rift between me and any city councilors or the mayor,” said Adams. “They work very hard and I respect them — all of them.”
As for the potential price tag of a special election, Adams suggested the city look into other options for filling vacancies, like the appointment process Holyoke uses.
Adams said he’s leaving public office for now, but will focus on community service and the Hampshire County Bar Association.
“I can make a difference that way, but it’s short of the demands of City Council,” he said. “I may run for higher office someday, but no time soon.”
Amanda Drane can be contacted at adrane@gazettenet.com.