PITTSFIELD, Mass. — Edward Carmel says he wants to address issues within Ward 6, such as crime and violence, while being an accessible presence to constituents.

 

"I have suggestions that will maybe bring us together closer as residents and counselors," the former Homelessness Prevention Committee chairman said. "I am not a 'yes' man, I will work with the mayor, and I will work with the district attorney if it comes to that, but I will not answer 'yes' when it comes to council decisions on every decision."

 

This is the third time that Carmel will be running for a seat on the City Council. Four years ago, he ran at-large and, two years ago, he ran for Ward 6 but didn't make it past the preliminary election.

 

Carmel feels strongly about supporting the Pittsfield Police in its battle against gun violence, drugs, and general crime in the city. He opposes cuts made in the fiscal 2022 budget totaling $205,000 from the contractual allowances and patrol officers' line items.

 

"I don't make promises, but I will make a promise, and I will come through with it, that is not going to be an easy thing to do, but I will promise the residents of Ward 6 and the rest of the city that every time something comes up about the police, I will be in favor of it," he said.

 

Carmel said he knows from experience that there is "no such thing as a safe neighborhood in Pittsfield" and wants to see councilors of all wards collaborating on the issue. He also wants to sit down with other local authorities and create a strategic plan.

 

"No ward, no street, no anything in Pittsfield is safe," he said. "They're dealing drugs on Mountainview Drive on the other side of Pittsfield, and they're dealing drugs on this side off of West Street up in the mountains, it's one side to the other and in between, so don't come to me and say that you feel safe in your neighborhood because one day something might happen. I'm not saying it will, I hope it doesn't, I pray to God. It may, so to prevent this, I want to see my council doing something."

 

A resident of Columbus Avenue, Carmel said residents are afraid and "don't want to leave their houses." He is especially fearful for women, children, and any innocent bystanders.

 

"But if you get somebody like myself to go down there every month, which I will make my list every month to visit each house again and again and again, I promise you, they will actually come down hopefully a little," Carmel added.

 

"I just want to see the residents be happy, they're almost not self-sufficient anymore in this ward, some of them not all of them, but some of them because of the terror that it's coming to this ward and again, I reiterate all around the city, it just happens to be over here more than it is in other places."

 

He will potentially be running against Guiel Lampiasi once more, as she has taken out papers for re-election but has not yet returned them.  Carmel has several issues with Lampiasi's leadership, claiming that she is only present in the community for photo opportunities.  He also disagrees with her vote in support of defunding the police budget early this month.

 

Carmel has a long history in Pittsfield, moving to the city from Hinsdale as a teenager and returning after three years of service in the Army as a diesel mechanic. He first became involved in local politics in 2000 and, in 2016, he successfully petitioned the City Council to restart the long-dormant homelessness committee.

 

A longtime advocate for unhoused individuals, he served as chairman of the former homelessness committee and is a member of the Homelessness Advisory Committee. 

 

He will facing off in the November election against Dina Guiel Lampiasi, who won the Ward 6 seat in 2019 and is running for re-election. 

 

"I figured I would put my hat in there and try to get elected and hopefully this time around, people will listen to me when I tell them that I can change this by myself, but I need help, obviously, I need my constituents to call in, to write in, to do anything to push stuff through," Carmel said.

 

"I will work with any constituents in my ward that wants to talk to me, all you have to do is call."