Letter: Macksey Is the Best Candidate to Lead North Adams

To the Editor:

I'm proud to state my public support for Jennifer Macksey, the one candidate for mayor in North Adams who is truly prepared to lead North Adams starting on Jan. 1 and going forward.

I've known Jen since we were both very much younger and working on Marshall Street in our respective family businesses. I have always admired Jen's ability to listen and talk to everyone she would encounter, as well as her ability to remain focused and calm in all situations. Jen has dedicated her life to being a positive advocate for her family and the people of North Adams. She has worked diligently through a variety of municipal and educational leadership experiences to prepare herself thoroughly for the one position that she has always had as a goal, mayor of North Adams.

Two and a half years ago, the North Berkshire School Union Joint Committee made the decision to hire Jen as the new business administrator for the small, rural districts managed by the superintendent's office. Jen took this opportunity on with a strong advocacy from day one to make positive changes that were certainly needed to improve the budgeting and financial management processes in these school districts.

Jen led school building improvement projects in several of the districts due to her strong municipal background, as well as implementing an improved budgeting process that incorporated much needed transparency and integrity to show the town leaders and residents the full cost of education in their communities. It must also be stated that during Jen's tenure in the NBSU, she has brought in an unprecedented amount of grant funding to benefit all NBSU districts to support upgrades in technology, education, and building safety, especially during the last school year when all four NBSU districts were safely open for in-person learning (while most schools were closed across the county and state).

The true standard of a good leader is to leave a job better than you found it through the positive improvements made during your time spent in the leadership position. Jennifer Macksey will be leaving the NBSU districts in much better condition than she found them almost three years ago, and I have no doubt whatsoever that she will do the same thing as the first female Mayor of North Adams. Please join me in voting for the best and most prepared leader to be our next mayor of North Adams, Jennifer Macksey!

John Franzoni
North Adams, Mass. 

John Franzoni is the superintendent of the Northern Berkshire School Union.

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.