AMHERST — Voters will set the course for the next two years for the Town Council and School Committee at Tuesday’s town election, with polls open from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m.
Those in Precinct 1A vote at the church hall at North Zion Church, 1193 North Pleasant St.; Precinct 1B at Immanuel Lutheran Church, 867 North Pleasant St.; Precinct 2A, 3A, 4A and 4B at the high school, 21 Mattoon St.; Precinct 2B at Fort River School, 70 South East St.; Precinct 3B at Crocker Farm School, 280 West St.; Precinct 5A at Bangs Community Center, 70 Boltwood Walk; and Precinct 5B at Munson Memorial Library, 1046 South East St.
At a recent District One Neighborhood Association forum, the five at-large candidates running for three Town Council seats, incumbents Ellisha Walker, Andy Steinberg and Mandi Jo Hanneke, and challengers Matt Holloway and Jamie Daniels, addressed a range topics, including the town’s need for affordable housing.
Hanneke said she and a colleague proposed a transfer fee on luxury homes and properties sold to private companies that would increase the amount of funding for affordable and attainable housing developments. She also cosponsored legislation to provide more paths to homeownership that she would like to bring back in pieces.
“The benefit of that proposal was that it started a conversation in town, a conversation on the Planning Board that is still ongoing,” Hanneke said, noting that a possible zoning overlay for University Drive is being considered that would encourage more mixed-use and apartment housing close to the University of Massachusetts campus.
Holloway said Gov. Maura Healey’s recent $4 billion housing bond bill and reforms in it are exciting, and he anticipates elements will come to Amherst. He supports reestablishing an economic development director and promoting more density downtown and in village centers.
“I also think there is a core housing stock issue that we’re running into,” Holloway said. “Finding ways to develop smaller homes, townhomes, condos — that is really important.”
Walker said strategic partnerships and identifying unused town land and properties are important, as is increasing affordable housing by incentivizing apartment complex owners to create more affordable housing,
“It’s really about being creative because I think we’re going to need to use multiple different way to address this issue,” Walker said. “No one proposal is going to be the final solution to the affordable housing crisis.”
Steinberg said the pressure from student housing is difficult. “It’s not going to be solved by the university, it’s not going to be solved by the colleges, it’s going to have to be addressed as a community issue,” Steinberg said.
He points to efforts in support of rental registration and compliance with the building code. “The real problem is the one we don’t have enough opportunities for families,” Steinberg said.
Daniels said she has been shut out of the housing market, as single-family homes are being bought by out-of-town landlords with the intention of converting them to student rentals. Comprehensive and wide-ranging initiatives, sensible zoning reforms, stricter regulations and asking UMass to do its part are critical.
“This is really concerning to me,” Daniels said. “We have a lack of available housing for non-student residents, including myself and my family, and we see how this has altered characteristics for neighborhoods, and often not for the better.”
In addition to all voters choosing the three-at large councilors, two councilors will be elected in each of the town’s five districts, with only District 5, where incumbent Ana Devlin Gauthier and Finance Committee member Robert Hegner are on the ballot, running unopposed.
In District 1, there is a three-way race between incumbent Cathy Schoen, who is being challenged by Vincent O’Connor and Ndifreke Ette. In District 2, there is a four-way race between incumbents Lynn Griesemer and Pat De Angelis, who are being challenged by Charlotte Allegra Clark and Amber Cano-Martin.
In District 3, due to redistricting, there is no incumbent, with a three-way race between George Ryan, Heather Hala Lord and Patrick Drumm. In District 4, also due to redistricting, there is a four-way race between incumbents Jennifer Taub, Pamela Rooney and Anika Lopes, who are being challenged by Dillon Maxfield.
Seven candidates, including two incumbents, are seeking the five seats on the Amherst School Committee, which saw three members resign over the summer and the superintendent leave, amid a Title IX investigation into alleged mistreatment of trans students at the middle school. During a recent League of Women Voters forum, they each offered brief thoughts.
Deborah Lee Leonard said she will be level-headed, even-tempered and data-driven.
“Balance that with compassion for students and staff,” Leonard said. “I’m also looking for balance in our high schools, in our schools in general. In particular, I’ve noticed our gross motor electives have been whittled away over the years.”
Laura Jane Hunter said she is deeply devoted to the district, having children in the schools and a spouse who teaches special education at the middle school, and she understands challenges, such as how Chromebook chargers had to be bought outside the school budget.
“As a parent, as a social worker, as a community member, I am committed to transparency, equity and openness,” Hunter said.
Jennifer Shiao, an incumbent, said her goals are to rebuild trust in the community by advocating for transparency and a superintendent search that will land a highly experienced, highly qualified candidate. She will also listen to parents and guardians and educators, especially where they have been harmed by leadership, to understand what needs to be done better.
“The public has the right to know what the School Committee knows and how we make decisions — with some exceptions, but those exceptions should be few and far between,” Shiao said.
Bridget Hynes said she will work on improving the school climate, putting in place anti-racist policies and encouraging the community to come together with kindness, empathy and compassion.
“My campaign slogan here in Amherst is to be more kind, inclusive and ready to listen,” Hynes said. “I think those are the three things we’ve been missing.”
Sarah Marshall said she wants to live up to the communty’s values, determine what is good and fix what isn’t good.
“To keep me focused on our students and commitment to equity, excellence and social justice, I will be asking these questions of every decision the School Committee is asked to make: Who is helped by this, who is hurt, who is included, who is excluded, and what values does this support?” Marshall said.
Irv Rhodes, an incumbent, said he values collaboration and a shared mission to help guide the committee’s decision-making process.
“I pledge that I will ensure that the School Committee responds to the errors, deficit and management mistakes surrounding incidents at the middle school involving LGBTQ+ students,” Rhodes said. “When any deficiencies are discovered, the School Committee will apologize, take corrective action and move on to a better region.”
Martha del Carmen Toro said she will have a collaborative approach to communication, help improve the education quality and enhance learning opportunities of the school community.
“This is crucial since the future of our community depends on our youth,” Toro said.
The others on the ballot are seven candidates for six seats to serve on the Jones Library trustees, with incumbents Austin Sarat, Robert Pam, Tamson Ely, Lee Edwards and Farah Ameen facing challenges from Eugene Goffredo and Edward McGlynn; three seats on the Housing Authority; and an elector under the Oliver Smith will, likely to be filled by a write-in.
