populations–to move here, plant roots here, find a job here, afford rent or to stay in a home here, start a business here, retire here, and be part of our community.

In the Mayor’s office we work every day to address all of these issues and more in a holistic fashion. We are taking care of the basics, and we are redefining what the basics should be.

I’m proud of what we have accomplished so far.

We took care of each other

✓ We launched the Division of Community Care, providing unarmed support to nearly 1,700 individuals experiencing houselessness, emotional distress, difficulty meeting basic needs, struggles with substance use, and conflict

✓ We increased annual funding to Northampton Public Schools by 32% since Fiscal Year 2022

✓ We supported 282 new units of affordable housing, either completed or underway

✓ We added 8 new firefighter positions and one dispatcher position to address significant increases in call volume to our Emergency Dispatch Center

✓ We boosted Senior Center programming and brought back senior transportation
services

✓ We increased property tax exemptions for income-eligible older adults and veterans

✓ We more than doubled participation in the tax work-off program, in which senior and veterans perform community service in exchange for a tax abatement

✓ We worked with Gateway Fiber to bring affordable competition to Northampton’s broadband market

✓ We issued executive orders to uphold immigrant, transgender, and gender-diverse rights, and to protect those seeking reproductive health care

✓ We awarded $4 million in federal American Rescue Plan Act [ARPA] Community Recovery Project funds to expand housing and shelter services, address food insecurity, support small businesses and nonprofits, strengthen healthcare access, support early education and childcare, and invest in arts, culture and recreation

We revitalized our downtowns after the pandemic

✓ We helped the Iron Horse reopen with an ARPA grant supporting safety and accessibility
improvements

✓ We helped bring people back to our downtowns with Summer on Strong, Taste of Northampton, Florence Music on the Porch, Band on Brewster and more.

✓ We advanced the Picture Main Street redesign, which will leverage $26 million in state funding to further revitalize our downtown—as well improve safety, accessibility, walkability, and bikeability, and replace over 100-year-old infrastructure—with the project going to bid next year.

We prudently managed our limited resources while investing in our future

✓ We maintained the highest possible AAA bond rating, proving the soundness of our approach to fiscal management, keeping borrowing costs low, and stretching our dollars

✓ We created stabilization funds for special education and climate change mitigation

✓ We established the Climate Action and Project Administration Department, working to meet our decarbonization goals and already reducing energy use in school and city buildings by about 20%

✓ We launched Valley Green Energy for competitive electricity rates and better access to renewable energy options

✓ We secured increased funding for roads and sidewalks as part of our five-year Capital Improvement Program, with the next round of paving projects happening now

This is a remarkably challenging time in our country, which makes the job of leading the city that much harder  with a federal government determined to slash funds for cities, schools, and nonprofits. But I also know how strong we are, and how much we can accomplish when we unite, collaborate, and do the hard work together.

Now is the time to look out for each other, to recommit to our shared progressive values, to use our resources as effectively as possible and to make our city more accessible and equitable.

Being mayor is not a one-person job. To get things done and make things better requires robust collaboration. The greatest joy and satisfaction I experience as Mayor is working with an incredible team of civil servants, our strong representatives and senators in the federal and state legislatures and an engaged community always ready to step up.

What I bring to the collaborative process is nearly 20 years of experience inside and outside municipal government serving the Northampton community, beginning with my work as Capital Campaign Manager for the successful $2 million effort to repair and restore the historic First Churches of Northampton building and community space.

I served on the City Council for eight years, including two years as City Council Vice President and two years as City Council President. These were crucial years for me, when I learned so much about how Northampton’s municipal government works and how to make it work better.

With my Council colleagues I sponsored successful ordinances to impose stricter campaign finance limits than the state, to ban the use of city resources on face surveillance systems, and to ensure that no city resources be used to determine or take action on someone’s immigration status or perform the functions of an immigration officer. I also helped create the Northampton Policing Review Commission in the aftermath of the murder of George Floyd. Often the work involved collaboration with the Mayor’s office. Sometimes it required principled disagreement. But the approach taken by myself and my fellow councilors was always respectful and productive.

During my time on the City Council I also became deeply familiar with the city budget as Chair of the Finance Committee. I learned the complexities and challenges of maintaining a strong fiscal foundation while maximizing resources to fund our progressive priorities.

And I saw up close the remarkable team of civil servants that make Northampton work, and how their expertise, dedication and collegial spirit allow our many departments to work constructively on behalf of Northampton’s residents.

And since 2022 I have served as your mayor, the greatest honor of my life.

The responsibilities of a mayor are many, and the task is never easy. But I believe the last few years have shown what we can accomplish when we work together to realize our shared values. I am honored that you entrusted me with such an important job four years ago, and that most Northampton voters expressed support for my re-election in the preliminary election. I hope to earn your vote again for the November 4 general election.

Early voting begins October 18, please click here for more information.

The voter registration deadline is October 25, please click here for more information.