The council’s newest member and highest vote-getter appears to have the council presidency sewn up two weeks before the formal vote on inauguration day.   By DAVID REID NORTHAMPTON – William “Bill” Dwight, who was elected Nov. 8 to an at-large seat on the City Council, will become that body’s junior member shortly after he [...]

Response for “Four At-Large City Council Hopefuls Lumber Through Candidates Forum: Audio Playlist” blunderbuss says: October 25, 2011 at 1:59 pm Come on, Jesse. Give me a break. He says he doesn’t want to give Coke a tax break, but then he did. These guys just can’t ever say no. His justification for the vote [...]

NORTHAMPTON — Four pols, two seats. An hour and 15 minutes allotted. Questions answered in two-minute soundbites, in serial rotation. The mayoral hopefuls waiting in the wings, preparing to take the stage. It ain’t easy being an at-large candidate for City Council this year. Last Wednesday night, at the Bridge Street Elementary School, the Ward [...]

There are several upcoming debates for mayor and for at-large City Council. Here are the wheres and whens of the first round of debates, starting tonight.   For Mayor. Tuesday, Oct. 4, 7-9 p.m. Northampton High School.  This event is at 7 p.m. tonight. The Baystate Village Association and the Florence Civic and Business Association will [...]

Several candidates for the Nov. 8 election waited until the last few days to hand in their nomination papers. But no one stepped up to challenge the new Ward 3 city councilor. By DAVID REID NORTHAMPTON – Ward 3’s Owen Freeman-Daniels, the newest and youngest member of the City Council, will run unopposed on the [...]

Photos © Paul Shoul. Audio © Mary Serreze. Freshman Councilor Draws Big Crowd To Start His Official Re-Election Push at the World War II Club. NORTHAMPTON — At-large City Councilor Jesse Adams, 33, kicked off his reelection campaign Monday night with an event that drew more than 100 people, including a roster of the city’s established [...]

With Two Candidates Dropping Out of the Races, the Contests Firm Up and the City Saves up to $20,000. NORTHAMPTON – Two would-be candidates who took out nomination papers to run for at-large City Council, one of whom also took out papers to run for mayor, said Friday they will not follow through with their candidacies. [...]

NORTHAMPTON – The field of at-large City Council candidates has expanded to six, now that Florence resident Christopher Allard has taken out nomination papers for the two-year, $5,000-a-year post. Every two years, voters elect two at-large councilors to represent the entire city, while also voting for one councilor to represent each of the seven wards [...]

NORTHAMPTON — The City Council has given final approval to two measures that bring the city’s volunteer Board of Health and staff-level health department under tighter mayoral control. Both related bills passed unanimously and with little discussion at last Thursday’s meeting. But two weeks earlier, the council spent more than an hour hashing out language [...]

The proposals would raise metered parking from 50 to 75 cents an hour and boost parking tickets from $10 to $15. NORTHAMPTON – Parking fees throughout the city, including long-term lots and meters, will rise from 50 to 300 percent if a proposal from the mayor and the parking division manager clears the City Council, [...]

Budget Oversight, Citizen Access to City Government and Respectful Dialogue on the Council Floor Are Among Issues the Former Councilor Says He Will Press if Elected to City-wide Seat. NORTHAMPTON – Radio talk show host, video store clerk, and former Ward 1 city councilor William “Bill” Dwight announced today that he will run for at-large [...]

At-large Councilor Jesse Adams Becomes the First Incumbent Councilor To Formally Announce Re-election Plans, While Mayoral Candidates Jockey for Position NORTHAMPTON – Freshman At-large City Councilor Jesse Adams announced Sunday that he will seek re-election this November to the two-year post he won in 2009, which pays $5,000 a year. In a press release emailed [...]

AG’s office says bus driver Philip Brocklesby missed the Oct. 30 deadline to appeal city’s rejection of his complaint NORTHAMPTON – A city man who had charged three city councilors with violating the state’s Open Meeting Law by talking with a reporter after a public meeting has apparently dropped the case. A spokeswoman for state [...]

Before the 7-0 vote, Councilor Jesse Adams warned proponents of hydropower that they have an uphill fight to make their case. But supporter Joseph Misterka said he was encouraged by the roomful of “yesses.” *** NORTHAMPTON – It wasn’t exactly a ringing endorsement for restoring the Chesterfield Road dam, but the City Council did vote [...]

Working in near-isolation since April, the Charter Review Committee interviewed some top city officials last week. Soon they will seek public input on the city’s gerry-rigged 1883 charter. NORTHAMPTON – Should the mayor chair the City Council? Would the city run better with a city manager instead of a mayor? Should the city clerk remain as [...]