NORTHAMPTON — Two-thirds of School Committee members have now declined to seek reelection after at-large member Roni Gold withdrew from the November ballot on Monday.
The city clerk’s office announced Gold’s withdrawal, which leaves two candidates — Gwen Agna, former principal of Jackson Street Elementary School, and Longmeadow Public Schools teacher Aline Davis — running for two at-large seats.
Gold is the sixth incumbent School Committee member to decline a reelection bid this year. Of the nine elected members, only Emily Serafy-Cox of Ward 3, Dina Levi of Ward 5 and Kaia Goleman of Ward 7 are running to keep their seats. All are unopposed for their second two-year terms.
There is one contested race for School Committee in Ward 6 with candidates Margaret Miller and Edwin Burlingame running for the seat.
Mayor David Narkewicz, who chairs the School Committee, is not running for a new term and will leave the committee after this year.
On Sept. 28, the city’s preliminary election will narrow the field of mayoral candidates from five to two for the Nov. 2 general election, and five at-large City Council candidates will become four.
The candidates for mayor are Shanna Fishel, Rosechana Gordon, Roy Martin, Gina-Louise Sciarra and Marc Warner. The at-large council candidates are Marissa Elkins, Jamila Gore, David Murphy, Michael Quinlan and Michelle Serra.
The deadline to register to vote in the preliminary election is Sept. 8, and the last day to register for the general election is Oct. 13.
The activist group Climate Action Now Western Massachusetts is hosting two virtual candidate forums ahead of the preliminary election.
An at-large City Council candidate forum will take place on Tuesday, Sept. 21, from 7 to 8:30 p.m. A mayoral candidate forum is scheduled for Thursday, Sept. 23, from 7 to 8:30 p.m.
“The forums will focus on the accelerating climate, energy, ecological, and environmental justice crises facing Northampton and beyond, and the leadership necessary to create municipal solutions to these challenges,” said Climate Action Now in a statement. “The forums are open to the public and will include question and answer periods.”
Both forums will be held via Zoom. More details will be announced in September.
Two agenda items at Thursday’s City Council meeting could have an effect on the fall elections.
At the 7 p.m. meeting, councilors will hold the first readings of an order to add a question to the ballot in November and a warrant establishing early voting procedures for the preliminary and general elections.
The proposed ballot question asks voters if they support the city establishing a public utility called a municipal light plant (MLP). The MLP would allow the city to build the necessary infrastructure to offer broadband internet to its residents and businesses.
Under state law, creating the MLP requires approval from the City Council in two separate fiscal years, followed by approval from voters. The council voted in 2020 and again in May to establish the MLP after surveys found 88% of household respondents and 86% of businesses said they needed better internet.
If voters pass the question, the city will have permission to create the MLP, but it will not be required to do so. If the question is voted down, the city cannot establish the MLP.
The early voting warrant sets multi-day windows in September and October wherein voters can cast their ballots before election day.
“Voter engagement is the cornerstone of our democracy,” reads the warrant, “and voters should not have to sacrifice voting in person in order to safeguard their health during the public health emergencies cause by the COVID-19 pandemic.”
For the preliminary election, early voting would be offered from Sept. 21-24 from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Early voting for the general election would be Oct. 23-29 from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. The hours on Sunday, Oct. 24, would be 1 p.m. to 6 p.m.
All early votes would be cast at the Senior Center, 67 Conz St.
Voters will no longer choose the city clerk at the ballot box after Gov. Charlie Baker signed a bill approving several amendments to the Northampton charter.
City Clerk Pamela Powers was running unopposed for reelection just in case Baker did not sign the charter changes before November ballots were printed, but Baker applied his signature on Friday, so the clerk’s position is now appointed.
The legislation does not explicitly state who would make the appointment, but the clerk is a department head, and the charter states that “the mayor shall appoint” all department heads “for whom no other method of appointment or selection is provided by the charter,” subject to City Council approval.
Brian Steele can be reached at bsteele@gazettenet.com.