Letter: Macksey Understands How to Manage City

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To the Editor:

As a former administrative officer for the city of North Adams (2001-2008), I write to urge the citizens of North Adams to elect Jennifer Macksey their next mayor. I can attest to Jen's sharp intellect, skilled financial management and good nature during the years we worked together when she was the city's top financial officer. Jen worked tirelessly on behalf of the residents of North Adams and has prepared herself, with her strong municipal background and experience in education administration, to be exceptionally qualified to do this remarkably difficult work.

There is no more difficult or important job than that of a mayor; I say this with confidence based on my own diverse and challenging work experience in both the private and public sectors. Jen Macksey has experienced firsthand the inherent difficulties in managing a city to meet the needs of its citizens while continually struggling to obtain and effectively use limited financial and other resources. She knows how to do this job and do it well.

It's been concerning to observe the current city government difficulties resulting in multiple resignations from incumbent city councilors. Now is not the time for on-the-job learning or training. Experience matters. Jen Macksey knows how to effectively position and utilize key resources on day one, which will be critical to the future success of North Adams. For these reasons, I urge the residents of North Adams to cast their vote for Jen Macksey on Nov. 2.
 

Mary Katherine Eade
North Adams, Mass. 

Mary Katherine Eade is a former administrative office for the city of North Adams.

 

 


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McCann OKs FY27 Budget, Assistant Principal Post

By Tammy Daniels iBerkshires Staff
NORTH ADAMS, Mass. — The McCann School Committee on Thursday approved a level-service "vanilla" budget for fiscal 2027.
 
The total spending plan for the Northern Berkshire Regional Vocational District is $13,218,090, up $564,753 or 3.69 percent over this year. The budget includes a second assistant principal, a special education teacher and interest on the building repair project. 
 
 "We frequently refer to our budget as a vanilla budget, and it sort of is this year, with some exceptions," said Finance Committee Chair Daniel Maloney. "The capital part of it is something different than the operating budget, but there will be an impact from that as well. But again, trying to be sensitive to what our communities can afford."
 
 Maloney and Superintendent of Schools James Brosnan stressed the need for an assistant principal, noting how lean the administrative staff was but how much the work has increased. 
 
"I've only got three people from my left that are responsible for this entire school," Brosnan told the School Committee. "There is no school in Massachusetts that only has a principal, assistant principal, director of students. Nothing, zero."
 
Maloney said it was a matter of "right-sizing" the organization that is running two schools. He pointed to the update from Prinicipal Justin Kratz that covered sports, enrollment, Massachusetts Comprehensive Assessment System testing, teacher retention and recruitment, student services, reporting to the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education, and the state's ongoing debate over graduation requirements. 
 
"You just see by the presentation tonight, by Justin, how much work goes into these things," Maloney said. "And even with our teaching staff, I often wonder how they have time to do their jobs when they've got all this data and all these things put together to feed the state, keep them happy. ...
 
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