NORTH ADAMS, Mass. — Voters will decide a new government for the next two years on Tuesday. 

 

Polling hours are from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. at St. Elizabeth's Parish Center. 

 

Up for election are mayor, all nine City Council seats and three School Committee seats. Also on the ballot are two seats representing the city in the Northern Berkshire Vocational Regional School District (McCann School Committee).

 

Jennifer Macksey is running for a third two-year term as mayor and is being challenged by Scott Berglund, a former vehicle parts salesman.  

 

Macksey has focused her campaign on experience: she's a lifelong resident, she has been financial director for higher education, local schools and with the city, and she's been in the corner office for four years. 

 

She has touted the more than $40 million in state and federal grants the city has obtained during her tenure, including ones for planning on the flood control project and reconnecting the downtown; the relocation of the Police Department to an accessible and modern headquarters; the sales of the Church Street mansions and the agreement on Sullivan School; the rescue of the former YMCA into a community recreation center, and the planned new Greylock School in the West End, which was supported by voters.

 

 "Leadership is not easy. It means making informed, sometimes difficult decisions and standing by them. I've never backed away from that responsibility," she said during a debate. "North Adams needs and deserves a leader, not only that envisions progress, but delivers it."

 

 Berglund moved to the city two years ago and became involved with a group protesting plans for harvesting trees and removing invasive plants near the Notch Reservoir, which has since been canceled. A two-time cancer survivor, he said the proposed use of cancer-causing herbicides had sparked his interest in city government. He has never held public office. 

 

 He has been campaigning on government transparency, saying he will open up all decision-making and hold town halls; the infrastructure problems; and that he feels the city's teacher's aren't being supported enough. He has opposed the Greylock School project. 

 

"North Adams is a dangerous position, with a failing infrastructure, high taxes, fragile economy, failing school system and very little housing," he said. "This is the result of a lack of vision. Lack of vision, bad or no planning, and worse off bad leadership."

 

The full debate can be found here; articles on Macksey's campaign kickoff is here and Berglund's here.

 

There are 13 candidates for City Council, seven of them incumbents. The six challengers are all women, leading to the potential for women to make up majority of the council for the first time. 

 

Incumbents are Lisa Blackmer, Keith Bona, Peter Breen, Andrew Fitch, Peter Oleskiewicz, Bryan Sapienza, and Ashley Shade. Challengers are Aprilyn Carsno, CarrieAnne Crews, Alexa MacDonald, Marie McCarron, Virginia Riehl (a member of the Planning Board) and Lillian Zavatsky. 

 

You can read the Q&As with the candidates here. 

 

Incumbents Emily Daunis and David Sookey are both running for their second terms on the School Committee. Also named on the ballot are Chelsey Lyn Ciolkowski and Eric Wilson. The top three vote-getters will be seated. 

 

Wilson, a who has served on some disability advisory boards, said he is running to represent children in the school system who have disabilities. He said he agrees with the new school and reorganizing grades, saying people should feel safe in schools, but acknowledged he does not like to being told what to do and has gotten into arguments during City Council meetings.

 

Ciolkowski has withdrawn from the race but did not do so before her name was printed. Should she be elected, she would have to decline as she is now working in the school system. 

 

In that case, the choice will likely end up with School Committee and City Council electing a candidate, as was done most recently when a newly elected committee member had to resign. 

 

Incumbents Taylor Gibeau and Gary Rivers are running for re-election to the McCann School Committee.

 

Quite a few citizens have already made their choices during early voting. Some 914 residents have made out their ballots in person or by mail. According to City Clerk Tina Leonesio, 699 mail-in ballots were requested and 663, or just under 73 percent were returned, and 215 ballots were cast in person.