Letter: Lynette Bond Is My Candidate

To the Editor:

In a recent fund-raising campaign letter to supporters, the Jennifer Macksey for Mayor Committee wrote, "If people are happy with how the city has been run over the past 12 years Jennifer Macksey ISN'T their candidate."

I say ... If you like the way the city has run the past 12 years, Lynette Bond IS your candidate. If you don't like the way the city has run the past 12 years, Lynette Bond IS your candidate. If you liked or disliked any of the past mayors, Lynette Bond IS your candidate.

She will work for all of you despite who you supported, if you were born here or moved here yesterday, knew her in school or just met her. If you are a resident of North Adams, she IS your candidate, as all on the ballot should be, because if elected they should serve all of us instead of just those who supported them or their boss.

Despite having good relations with former and current North Adams mayors, Lynette believes all have pros and cons, and doesn't wish to be a stand-in for any of them, referring to John Barrett III calling Macksey his "alter ego."

Lynette is her own woman with her own style of leadership, never being an apprentice or having a career tied to any former mayor, making her a new face in City Hall with new energy to move old projects forward and develop fresh ideas. Lynette Bond is "for the future of North Adams" unlike being stuck in the past.

We need a mayor who doesn't see this city as those who supported John Barrett III prior to 12 years ago and those who didn't. The "you are with me, or against me" mentality is getting old and needs to stop, and not healthy for our small city even a little. We may not be able to convince everyone but having a leader who looks at us as one community instead of dividing us is a good start.

Keith Bona
North Adams, Mass. 

Keith Bona is a North Adams city councilor. 

Clarksburg OKs $5.1M Budget; Moves CPA Adoption Forward

By Tammy DanielsiBerkshires Staff
08:44PM / Wednesday, May 29, 2024

Newly elected Moderator Seth Alexander kept the meeting moving. 

CLARKSBURG, Mass. — The annual town meeting sped through most of the warrant on Wednesday night, swiftly passing a total budget of $5.1 million for fiscal 2025 with no comments. 

 

Close to 70 voters at Clarksburg School also moved adoption of the state's Community Preservation Act to the November ballot after a lot of questions in trying to understand the scope of the act. 

 

The town operating budget is $1,767,759, down $113,995 largely because of debt falling off. Major increases include insurance, utilities and supplies; the addition of a full-time laborer in the Department of Public Works and an additional eight hours a week for the accountant.

 

The school budget is at $2,967,609, up $129,192 or 4 percent over this year. Clarksburg's assessment to the Northern Berkshire Vocational School District is $363,220.

 

Approved was delaying the swearing in of new officers until after town meeting; extending the one-year terms of moderator and tree warden to three years beginning with the 2025 election; switching the licensing of dogs beginning in January and enacting a bylaw ordering dog owners to pick up after their pets. This last was amended to include the words "and wheelchair-bound" after the exemption for owners who are blind. 

 

The town more recently established an Agricultural Committee and on Wednesday approved a right-to-farm bylaw to protect agriculture. 

 

Larry Beach of River Road asked why anyone would be against and what the downside would be. Select Board Chair Robert Norcross said neighbors of farmers can complain about smells and livestock like chickens.