In his first address as mayor, Narkewicz said he’ll hold town hall meetings on the city budget, appoint an economic advisory committee, and seek feedback from rank-and-file city workers to help him steer the ship of state through turbulent economic times. By DAVID REID NORTHAMPTON – David J. Narkewicz, sworn in Tuesday as the city’s 44th [...]

NORTHAMPTON — Tuesday’s Daily Hampshire Gazette mayoral forum almost didn’t happen this year. On Monday, the city was reeling from an October snowstorm that cut electricity to the entire city over the weekend. The John F. Kennedy Middle School on Bridge Road was still without power, and Northampton Community Television, with its mothership studio in [...]

  Acting Mayor Dave Narkewicz Raised Almost Twice as Much Money as his Opponent, Former Councilor Mike Bardsley; Former Councilor Bill Dwight Raised $18,800, More than the Other Three Candidates Combined in At-Large Council Race. NORTHAMPTON – Acting Mayor David Narkewicz showed his fundraising muscle this year by raising more than $48,000 in contributions, almost [...]

NORTHAMPTON — If elected, would David Narkewicz pledge to be a single-term mayor? Will the next mayor “return” an elusive document to state regulators? What are the pros and cons of secrecy in collective bargaining? Are there any negative impacts from the city’s many bike paths, and who pays for graffiti removal there? And the [...]

While Bardsley referred to a “great divide” in the city and extolled his support for the working middle class, Narkewicz spoke of common goals and a positive vision. Smith College Debate Complete mp3   NORTHAMPTON — There were few Kumbaya moments at Monday night’s mayoral debate, sponsored by the Smith College Democrats and held at [...]

From “Clare Island” to “The Crew” — Mayoral candidate Michael Bardsley has an axe to grind with local government. But can he make it stick to his opponent, council president David Narkewicz? (Corrected Oct. 19) NORTHAMPTON — A political advertisement that ran in the Oct. 1 weekend edition of the Daily Hampshire Gazette has become [...]

NORTHAMPTON — Two mayoral candidates, four at-large city council candidates, a slate of hopefuls for the Community Preservation Committee, and even a slowly-simmering race in staid Ward 2. It’s election season in Northampton, which means debates, forums, lawn signs, campaign literature, meet-and-greets, and fundraisers galore. A mayoral debate held Tuesday night at the Northampton High [...]

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 [...]

Learning the ropes in his temporary office, the acting mayor rolls up his sleeves and gets down to business. NORTHAMPTON – On the third day as acting mayor, and the first regular weekday of his new job, City Council President David Narkewicz arrived at Room One in City Hall about 8:30 a.m. and started figuring [...]

It’s one if by air, and two if by land. The mayors are coming! The mayors are coming! (Corrected Oct. 19) NORTHAMPTON – The mayor’s race is heating up and the signs are popping up all over. For Michael Bardsley, the most recent salvo was the aerial advertising plane that flew over the city last [...]

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 [...]

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 [...]

The City Council Has the Authority to Act on the Proposed Charter Changes. Or It Can Do Nothing At All. NORTHAMPTON – A final report from the city’s Charter Review Committee calls for a new document that clearly defines the relationship between the mayor and City Council, presents information in an understandable way, and tackles [...]