Mail-in ballots and early voting will be available during October ahead of the Tuesday, Nov. 7, municipal election.
I am running unopposed on the ballot for Ward 1 city councilor.
Other candidates on the Ward 1 ballot are:
CITY COUNCIL AT-LARGE (two seats) – Marissa Elkins, Roy Martin, David Murphy, and Garrick Perry,
SCHOOL COMMITTEE AT-LARGE (two seats) – Gwen Agna, Aline Davis and Margaret Robbins.
SCHOOL COMMITTEE WARD 1 – Holly Ghazey.
SMITH SCHOOL TRUSTEES (three seats) – Richard Aquadro, Michael Cahillane and Julie Spencer-Robinson.
FORBES LIBRARY TRUSTEES (three seats) – Ruth Francis, Alexander George, Anne Teschner, and Kathleen Wight.
COMMUNITY PRESERVATION COMMITTEE (two seats) – Emily “Lemy” Coffin and Christopher Hellman.
OLIVER SMITH ELECTOR – David Murphy and Mary Odgers.
Vote-by-mail applications can be downloaded or printed here:
https://www.sec.state.ma.us/divisions/elections/languages/vote-by-mail-applications.htm
Completed applications may be mailed to the Northampton city clerk, 210 Main St., Room 4, Northampton, MA 01060, delivered there or emailed to [email protected].
Ballots will be mailed when they are available later this month.
Tuesday, Oct. 31, at 5 p.m. is the deadline for requesting a mail-in ballot. Completed ballots must be received at the city clerk’s office by 8 p.m. Nov. 7. Mail-in ballots CANNOT be dropped off at a polling place on Nov. 7. Before then, they may be mailed to the Northampton city clerk, 210 Main St., Room 4, Northampton, MA 01060, delivered there or placed in the drop box by the City Hall front steps that is open beginning Oct. 16 from 8:45 a.m. to 4:15 p.m. Mondays through Fridays.
Early voting begins Saturday, Oct. 21, and continues through Friday, Nov. 3. All early voting will be done in City Hall at 210 Main St. Hours are Oct. 21 from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.; Oct. 23 through 27 from 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.; Oct. 28 from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.; and Oct. 30 through Nov. 3 from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
Saturday, Oct. 28, at 5 p.m. is the deadline to register to vote in the municipal election.
Polls will be open on Election Day, Tuesday, Nov. 7, from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. Ward 1 residents continue to vote in the Jackson Street School auditorium.
Shared-use path on Mount Tom Road
The Massachusetts Department of Transportation will hold a virtual public hearing at 6:30 p.m., Wednesday, Oct. 11, on plans for a shared-use path for bicyclists and pedestrians on the west side of Mount Tom Road in Easthampton and Northampton. It would connect the trailhead of the existing Manhan Rail Trail in Easthampton to the proposed bike lanes to be constructed north of Interstate 91 Exit 18 at Mount Tom Road (Route 5).
People may register to attend the virtual hearing here:
The shared-use path would be 10 feet wide and approximately 6,200 feet long. Construction also would include a new parking area at the Manhan Rail Trail trailhead and widening the existing concrete sidewalk to 10 feet on the Manhan River bridge.
The project, scheduled for the federal fiscal year ending Sept. 30, 2026, is expected to cost about $6 million, which would be paid with federal and state funds.
Replacement of Old Springfield Road bridge over the Mill River
The Massachusetts Department of Transportation will hold a virtual public hearing from 7 to 8:30 p.m., Wednesday, Oct. 18, on a bridge replacement project over the Mill River on Old Springfield Road.
People may register to attend the virtual hearing here:
The original concrete bridge, which was built in 1939, is structurally deficient. A steel bridge was put on top of the original concrete structure in 1991, but it continues to flood during the winter.
The new bridge, which would improve the geometry of the road, would consist of one 12-foot travel lane for two-way traffic, with two-foot-wide shoulders on each side. There would be no sidewalks, and according to the MassDOT, the low speeds and low volume of traffic would allow the bridge to be shared by motor vehicles, bicycles and pedestrians.
Senior and Veteran Tax Work-Off program
The city is accepting applications through Nov. 17 for the Senior and Veteran Tax Work-Off program for the period from Jan. 1 to Oct. 31, 2024.
Residents aged 60 and older who own property and pay real estate taxes in Northampton and who meet income eligibility guidelines (based on Massachusetts median income levels) may apply. Veterans who own property and pay real estate taxes in Northampton are eligible regardless of income.
Participants may earn up to a $1,500 abatement in their property taxes if they complete 100 hours of volunteer service for municipal departments. Since 2014, 221 participants have provided more than 20,000 hours of volunteer service and received some $250,000 in property tax relief.
Applications are available at the assessors office in City Hall, 210 Main St., veterans service office in Memorial Hall, 240 Main St., and the Senior Center, 67 Conz St. Completed senior applications should be delivered to the assessors office, and veterans applications should be delivered to the veterans services office.
Online applications for seniors are available here:
https://northamptonma.gov/2066/Senior-Tax-Work-Off-Program
Online applications for veterans are available here:
https://northamptonma.gov/1455/Veteran-Property-Tax-Work-Off-Program
Stan