image description
Dina Guiel plans to run for City Council.

Dina Guiel To Seek Pittsfield's Ward 2 City Council Seat

By Andy McKeeveriBerkshires Staff
Print Story | Email Story
PITTSFIELD, Mass. — Dina Guiel plans to run for City Council.
 
Guiel announced on Tuesday that she intends to seek the Ward 2 council seat currently held by Kevin Morandi, who has been in office since 2011. Morandi has not yet said whether or not he intends to seek re-election.
 
"I’m running because I love this city and I love Ward 2. I recognize that today’s decisions matter tomorrow and I know my skills can help make Pittsfield a better city," Guiel said in a statement released Tuesday.
 
Guiel has a bachelor's degree in sociology from the Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts. She moved to Pittsfield in 2008 and worked at Brix Wine Bar, seeing promise in the tourism industry, as she worked on her master's degree from Northeastern University in public administration and policy analysis that she obtained in 2013.
 
It was then that she developed friendships and a love for the area. 
 
"It was a really exciting time and got me hooked on the area," Guiel said. 
 
After graduation, she went on to form a youth mentoring program in Springfield and Holyoke through the New England Farm Workers Council focusing on youth working toward their General Educational Development. She then worked on the development of a master plan for the town of Dedham until last summer, doing a lot of commuting as she maintained a home in Pittsfield.
 
It was through those programs the 32-year-old began seeing that policies sometimes were not aligned to solve particular problems.
 
"Policy has always been fascinating to me. Even as a kid I would watch CSPAN," Guiel said. "Through undergrad, I was always gravitating to the policy side as in what was affecting sociology in the community."
 
Local governments serve roles in promoting and charting a course for a community and Guiel wants to use her experience and skills to influence that.
 
"I am really intrigued in finding new ways to tackle the problems we have," she said. 
 
She used the example of the city approaching the tax ceiling. She said the city needs to find new revenues and needs to find companies that haven't had presences here in the city in the past. Guiel believes the City Council can promote new revenues and industry.
 
"We have a lot going for us and if we play our cards right, people will be coming here on the weekends and not just drive by," Guiel said. "I think having an innovative City Council is one of the first things we should strive for."
 
After finishing her work in Dedham, she focused her attention on founding New Beginnings, a startup organization aimed to help those coping with drug addiction. That is still in the development stage but is eyed to be a collaboration of multiple health and wellness organizations in the community to provide alternative social activities for those in recovery.
 
"We're really trying to find a way to really open up access to alternative health and wellness activities," Guiel said. "It really is about not focusing on the addiction but giving them alternative social activities."
 
When thinking about her love for the area and her background in policy and planning, she determined another way to help the community would be to run for council. She is supportive of the Transformative Development Initiative and wants to see more done for the youth in the community. Guiel sees promise in the city and wants to help make it even better.
 
“Pittsfield is an exciting location with a lot going for it. This is where I want to be,” she said.
 
Guiel becomes the third candidate to announce bids for election. She joins Ty Allan Jackson, who is seeking an at-large seat, and Helen Moon, who is seeking the Ward 1 seat. At-large incumbent Kathleen Amuso and Ward 1 incumbent Lisa Tully have both announced they will not seek re-election.
 
Nomination papers are available on April 3.

Tags: city election,   election 2017,   Pittsfield city council ,   


If you would like to contribute information on this article, contact us at info@iberkshires.com.

Central Berkshire School Officials OK $35M Budget

By Sabrina DammsiBerkshires Staff
DALTON, Mass. — The Central Berkshire Regional School Committee approved a $35 million budget for fiscal 2025 during its meeting on Thursday.
 
Much of the proposed spending plan is similar to what was predicted in the initial and tentative budget presentations, however, the district did work with the Finance subcommittee to further offset the assessments to the towns, Superintendent Leslie Blake-Davis said. 
 
"What you're going see in this budget is a lower average assessment to the towns than what you saw in the other in the tentative budget that was approved," she said. 
 
The fiscal 2025 budget is $35,428,892, a 5.56 percent or $1,867,649, over this year's $33,561,243.
 
"This is using our operating funds, revolving revenue or grant revenue. So what made up the budget for the tentative budget is pretty much the same," Director of Finance and Operations Gregory Boino said.
 
"We're just moving around funds … so, we're using more of the FY25 rural aid funds instead of operating funds next year."
 
Increases the district has in the FY25 operating budget are from active employee health insurance, retiree health insurance, special education out-of-district tuition, temporary bond principal and interest payment, pupil transportation, Berkshire County Retirement contributions, and the federal payroll tax. 
 
View Full Story

More Pittsfield Stories