Fund Schools and Essential City Services First
Budget and capital planning cycles must be re-ordered to fully fund essential needs before we devote money to more visionary projects. Sustaining Northampton’s traditional role as a leader among communities must include at its core an essential commitment to meeting the needs of our people, and especially our children.
Control Costs, Taxes, and Fees
The City Council must ensure your money is being spent only on effective projects and policies, not on empty gestures. Council members must ask hard questions, seek additional perspectives and take time to truly understand – not simply defer to the mayor, department heads or external consultants.
Fix the Roads
Restore DPW to full staffing for maintenance and snow. Bring fairness and clarity to paving prioritization. Address notorious curve and hill speed issues. Preserve our 50-year tradition of walking, biking, and driving on spacious interior neighborhood streets.
Respect Cherished Hamp Traditions
Times change, but practical realities endure. I’ve seen the mixed results of trendy planning ideas tried in their natural habitats like Cambridge and NYC. We can examine what other cities are doing, but Northampton needs policies which fit the reality of our city, not an idealized imagination of other places.
No amount of tying ourselves into knots will turn Northampton into Cambridge or NYC.
Opt-in to Chapter 329
Adopt Chapter 329 of the Acts of 1987 so that the City Council rather than mayor holds the power to fund our schools.
Require your choice for mayor to explain if they will sign an order accepting Chapter 329
Restore Inclusive Democracy
Put city government back in touch with the people it exists to serve. Create additional mechanisms for public comment, testimony and visual presentation. Require public notices and agendas to include direct links to relevant documents and filings. Promptly post presentation slides and meeting videos.
Housing Must Be Reasonable
Build mostly in well connected areas to avoid excessive traffic on rural roads. Emphasize affordable, accessible, and mid-market construction. Increase density incrementally, supported by the needed transit, employment, commerce and services.
Encourage walking or biking some shorter trips, but recognize many with jobs and children have obligations, schedules and emergencies which only realistically work by car.
Re-invigorate Florence Center and Downtown
Free captive properties and licenses. Help cherished businesses retain their locations as buildings change ownership. Encourage new shops, restaurants and re-opened nightlife.
Remove Obstacles To Accessibility
Write accessibility requirements into zoning codes similar to those existing for affordability. Create grants or loans to help update inaccessible buildings and dwellings. Expand bus routes, hours and wheelchair capacity. Prune back obstructions and rebuild Ryan Road sidewalk. Enact municipal sidewalk snow removal.
Expand Conservation Areas
Protect forests, habitats, and traditional routes. Route trails to preserve abutter’s privacy. Coordinate community efforts for trail upkeep and invasives control.