The City Council voted unanimously on Aug. 21 to approve a request by the Northampton Reparations Study Commission to extend its work through Dec. 31, 2026.
The City Council vote requests a transition to a committee that implements the commission’s recommendations.
The City Council voted July 10 to postpone until Aug. 21 a decision on the deadline extension until the commission selected a new chair to succeed Ousmane Power-Greene, who resigned after its June 10 meeting. The commission voted then to submit a report to the City Council and mayor, subject to possible editing if it was given more time to work, including seeking additional suggestions from members of the city’s Black community.
The commission on July 21 elected Jasmine Goodspeed and Felicia Lundquist as co-chairs.
The report submitted June 16 calls for “the creation of a permanent implementation body or bodies … to carry forward the recommendations in this report, support future truth-telling, and reparative efforts, and ensure accountability in city government and, additionally, extend this Study Commission.”
Other recommendations include creating a reserve account for reparations; allocating city money to support private reparations work by community organizations; continuing police reforms; encouraging, assisting and promoting Black-owned businesses; and assisting first-time Black homeowners with down payments and closing costs.
The City Council on Nov. 21, granted an extension of the original deadline from Oct. 5, 2024, to March 6, 2025.
The commission, which began meeting Aug. 24, 2023, was established after the City Council in February 2023 unanimously approved a resolution calling for an investigation of racialized harms perpetrated against Black residents and workers in Northampton.
The June 16 report is available here:
https://northamptonma.gov/AgendaCenter/ViewFile/Item/25414?fileID=204977
An addendum is available here:
https://northamptonma.gov/AgendaCenter/ViewFile/Item/25414?fileID=204976
The commission’s website is at:
https://www.northamptonma.gov/2508/Northampton-Reparations-Study-Commission
The resolution approved by the City Council is available here:
https://northamptonma.gov/AgendaCenter/ViewFile/Item/20871?fileID=177683
Early voting extended
The City Council voted unanimously on Aug. 21 to add three days of in-person early voting before the preliminary municipal election on Tuesday, Sept. 16.
The city clerk and Board of registrars originally requested early voting Sept. 10 to 12. The City Council added Sept. 6, 8 and 9.
There will be early voting in City Hall from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Sept. 6 and 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. on the other five days.
The preliminary election will narrow the number of candidates for mayor and City Council. Polls will be open from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. Sept. 16 and Ward 1 voters will cast their ballots at the Jackson Street School.
There are four candidates for mayor: Daniel Breindel, David Dombrowski, Jillian Duclos, and incumbent Gina-Louise Sciarra. The top two vote-getters will advance to the Nov. 4 general election.
There are six candidates for two at-large City Council seats: Deborah Henson, Yakov Kronrod, William O’Dwyer, incumbent Garrick Perry, Margaret Robbins, and Benjamin Spencer. The top four vote-getters will advance to the Nov. 4 general election.
There are three candidates for the Ward 1 City Council seat: Nikolas Letendre-Cahillane, Gwenevra Nabad and Michele Ronco. The top two vote-getters will advance to the Nov. 4 general election.
The preliminary election also will reduce the number of candidates for City Council in Wards 3 and 5 from three to two.
The Ward 3 candidates are Laurie Loisel, incumbent Quaverly Rothenberg and Ace Tayloe.
The Ward 5 candidates are Aline Davis, David Murphy and Vincent Rotello IV.
Mail-in ballots also are available before the preliminary election. Information about that is available here:
https://www.northamptonma.gov/2274/Early-Mail-In-Voting
The deadline for registering to vote before the preliminary election is 5 p.m., Saturday, Sept. 6.
Stan