Letter: Support Jennifer Macksey for Mayor

To the Editor:

The voters of North Adams have to take advantage of the great opportunity that has been given to them! The decision by Jennifer Macksey to run for mayor will give you the most qualified and experienced candidate to lead North Adams forward.

I had the opportunity to work with Jen while employed by the city Highway Department for 30 years. I first met Jen while she was working at the city landfill selling stickers and composting bins. Then she worked as director of finance/chief procurement cfficer for the city and the became the city tax collector/treasurer. Along with all of this she became the go-between employees and the administration, which at the time was greatly needed.

She treated us all with dignity and respect! One instance that sticks out in my mind is when the federal law for drug testing was put into place. Jen had a meeting with us all and explained the law to us and told us all about the programs that city was putting into place for us to use if the need arose. This skill in dealing with people is a great asset to have.

All this experience makes Jennifer Macksey the right choice for mayor — one that could step into the job and begin work immediately. I also would like to take the time to thank the Macksey campaign for keeping this election civil and free from personal attacks.

Edward Denault
Clarksburg, Mass. 

Edward Denault was highway superintendent for North Adams until his retirement.

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.