Pittsfield's Lothrop Will Not Run for Re-Election
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| Ward 5 Councilor Jonathan Lothrop |
PITTSFIELD, Mass. — The longest serving member of the current City Council has decided not to run for re-election.
Ward 5 City Councilor Jonathan Lothrop, first elected in 2003, announced in a press release on Monday that he would not seek a seventh term.
He first sought office over the controversial plans to expand the Pittsfield Municipal Airport and to develop a waste transfer station in his ward.
"I am proud that, along with the Citizens for a Sensible Airport Plan (CSAP), our proposed compromise was eventually selected as the ultimate outcome of a decadelong process. As for the Transfer Station, it never did materialize and the Residents' Against the Transfer Station, South Street (RATSS) were instrumental in the defeat of that project," he wrote in his statement.
Lothrop said he hopes to spend more time with his family before his youngest child graduates high school. He also said an increasing workload on his job at the Department of Children and Families is a factor.
He cruised to victory unopposed in two of the last three elections; in 2011, he squeaked out a 7-vote win against Joseph Breault in a recount in 2011.
He is the second City Council incumbent who is not running; Councilor at Large Barry Clairmont has said he will not seek a third term.
Lothrop's full statement:
It has been a pleasure to have served the residents of Pittsfield and Ward 5 for the past 12 years. I would like to thank my family, friends and supporters for their continued encouragement over the years. When I was first elected, there were several major issues in Ward 5 including, the proposed Airport Expansion and the Waste Transfer Station.
I am proud that, along with the Citizens for a Sensible Airport Plan (CSAP), a our proposed compromise was eventually selected as the ultimate outcome of a decade long process. As for the Transfer Station, it never did materialize and the Residents' Against the Transfer Station, South Street (RATSS) were instrumental in the defeat of that project.
I am also proud of the City Health Insurance switch from Blue Cross to the State GIC in 2008, and that this transparent process featured a number of public meetings and direct engagement of the City Council and the municipal employees. The end result of this switch was that there were enough savings that we were able keep our Public Safety and Education team intact.
After over 25 years in Government, I often took the role of educating my peers and the public about Government process and procedure. I plan to spend more time with my family as our youngest daughter is halfway through high school and I would like to be home more for those last few years. In addition, an increasing workload at my day job at the Massachusetts Department of Children and Families is also a factor. Lothrop is a Supervisor of the Family Resource Unit and has been employed at DCF for 26 years. I plan to spend the remaining time in office, doing exactly the same things that I have done for the past 12 years. I am proud of my time in office and hope the residents will understand the desire for a little more time at home.
Lastly, I wanted to communicate this decision before the start of the election season as Nomination Papers are available on April 2nd. This way, anyone who is interested can have the time needed to think about whether to mount a campaign. I have met a lot of terrific people in my time on the Council, and I hope to remain involved in community life after my time on the Council."
Tags: #PittsfieldElection, city council, election 2015,
