Sara Hathaway Wins in Pittsfield
PITTSFIELD, Mass. — Sara Hathaway will be the new mayor of Pittsfield.
With 8,218 of the votes, to James Ruberto's 7,200, she maintained the same clear margin of victory as in the primaries.
Although a native Ann Arbor, Mich., Hathaway over the years has developed a history of community involvement in Berkshire County as founder and chair of the Berkshire Young Professionals since 1998, and as a homeowner in Pittsfield.
Hathaway has an established record in state and local government having been chief of staff for state Sen. Andrea F. Nuciforo Jr., D-Pittsfield, from 1996 to 2001, and as the Berkshire County representative to the Massachusetts Democratic State Committee. She also has extensive work experience in urban planning as a former planner for the Nantucket Planning and Economic Development Commission from 1987 to 1990, and as a senior planner for the Berkshire County Regional Planning Commission from 1994 to 1997.
Hathaway received a master's degree in urban planning from the University of Michigan in 1988, and a bachelor's degree in urban studies from Bryn Mawr College in 1984. She believes that her background and skills will serve Pittsfield best in the mayor's office.
"I'm ready to roll up my sleeves and get going," said Hathaway with regard to restoring Pittsfield's fiscal health. "[This restoration] will require better management of existing resources, and dogged efforts to expand our tax base and other revenues."
Hathaway plans on implementing a rational approach to budgeting that will target wasteful expenditures, and said she will not waste time and raise tempers by examining cuts that will not provide true savings. One example of this is her proposal that the city participate in a cooperative of school districts and municipalities to buy energy at a discount through the Lower Pioneer Valley Educational Collaborative (LPVEC). According to Hathaway, the Pittsfield Public Schools is already a member of LPVEC and has saved almost $400,000 over the past several years on natural gas.
Another example is Hathaway's plan to pursue every federal and state grant that will help Pittsfield reduce the burden on its taxpayers. Hathaway cited such programs as the federal transportation plan known as TEA-21, which is a source of funds for bike paths and related improvement to help improve a city's infrastructure, and the programs administered by the Massachusetts Cultural Commission that benefit schools and the cultural community.
Hathaway believes that "finding ways to save money doesn't just mean cutting programs. You have to turn over a few rocks. Look for opportunities that may not be obvious."
She has noted that Pittsfield will receive $8 million over the next eight years as part of the GE negotiated settlement and stated that she "will use this money to create a fund for small businesses."
With added funds from the state, local banks, and private investments, Hathaway feels that Pittsfield's small businesses could upgrade their signs and storefronts, improve their product lines, or purchase their buildings in order to aid in the revitalization of the downtown area. Hathaway stated that, in the past, the mayor's office has been "playing games with the school budget" and has not given parents, students, and teachers reliable information about which faculty and programs will return each year. She believes that a first-rate school system is essential to rebuilding Pittsfield's tax base. "Businesses and young families deciding whether or not to relocate will choose Pittsfield only if our school system is outstanding. You raised your children to be good citizens. As mayor, I will raise this city to be worthy of your children."
Hathaway feels that there are numerous opportunities to restore Pittsfield as a regional activity center: from improving bike paths and parks and restoring the Colonial Theatre, to building a downtown movie complex and revitalizing Wahconah Park. She has pledged to "pursue these and other projects that will make the quality of life great for year-round residents of Pittsfield. As this happens, tourists will find our city appealing, too."
Ruberto ran a campaign based on his ideas about business and fiscal responsibility. Born and raised in Pittsfield, Ruberto's family roots run deep in Berkshire County. His father was Anthony J. Ruberto Sr., a Pittsfield attorney whose parents ran Ruberto's Market on Columbus Avenue. His mother is Edith Sonsini Ruberto, whose parents also ran a market, Sonsini's Market on Fenn Street. His late brother, Anthony J. Ruberto Jr., served for 12 years as Berkshire County's first full-time district attorney and later became presiding justice of the Northern Berkshire District Court. Ruberto himself attended St. Joseph's grammar and high schools and married his high school sweetheart, Ellen Reynolds, also of Pittsfield.
Although Ruberto has resided in many different areas throughout the United States — from Wilmington and Chicago, to San Francisco and Dallas — he has lived in Pittsfield for the last few summers and, this past spring, moved back to Pittsfield permanently.
Tags: election 2001,
