Letter: Don't Repeat the Past in North Adams Mayoral Race

To the Editor:

Look to the future by learning from the past in North Adams mayor race

I was very excited when Lynette Bond announced her candidacy for mayor in June. However, when Jennifer Macksey announced her candidacy my concerns mounted. As I watched the first of what I hope will be several debates, I listened to Ms. Macksey speak of checks and balances and accountability when she was the treasurer of North Adams. She further stated that there was "no theft" in City Hall when she worked there. I had a sinking feeling remembering the city's Health Insurance Trust Fund failure. Ms. Macksey was the city treasurer during that time.

As treasurer, Ms. Macksey should have been aware that the Health Insurance Trust Fund was not being funded as required by Mass General Law (MGL) chapter 32B, section 3A Municipal Group Insurance Trust Fund statute and as was budgeted by the North Adams City Council. The treasurer is responsible for cash management procedures, forecasting, maximizing cash flow, monitoring receipts, maintaining internal financial controls, reconciliation of all city funds, receivables, trust funds and government grants. The treasurer is responsible to assure compliance with state law and regulation governing municipal finance and to develop and maintain appropriate levels of internal controls to safeguard the financial assets of the community, (MA Municipal Association). The mismanagement of the city's Health Insurance Trust Fund spanned years and cost the city dearly to resolve it. The independent report conducted at that time stated that the city had failed to pay its fair share of city and school employee insurance premiums at $1.1 million over the previous two years. What is sometimes overlooked when we talk about the "city" are those employed, many of them residents. It cost them as taxpayers and cheated them as employees.

This kind of carelessness cannot be repeated. Ms. Macksey had the misfortune of being mentored by and working for a flawed administration during which funds were mismanaged, while denying employees access to review their accounts when being questioned. If there were checks and balances, and accountability during Ms. Macksey's years in City Hall as she stated in the debate, how could the city's Health Insurance Trust Fund have failed so miserably? 

Let's learn from the past and ensure that we do not repeat that which can be and is necessary to change. Voting for Lynette Bond must be the choice.

Susan W. Chilson
North Adams, Mass. 

Chilson is the former president of the North Adams Teachers Association

North Adams Unveils Hometown Heroes Banners

By Jack GuerinoiBerkshires Staff
04:30PM / Friday, May 22, 2026

Carol Ethier-Kipp holds up the first aid kit her father used as an Army medic in World War II. See more photos here. 

NORTH ADAMS, Mass. — The City of North Adams honored its own on Friday afternoon, unveiling 50 downtown street banners representing local veterans who served — and continue to serve — the community and the country.

 

More than 300 residents packed the front lawn of City Hall as the community took a moment to reflect on its "Hometown Heroes" during the morning unveiling ceremony.

 

"In a city like North Adams, service is personal. The men and women we honor today are not strangers to us. They are our neighbors, our classmates, our parents, our grandparents," Mayor Jennifer Macksey told the crowd. "... These banners are far more than names and pictures hanging along our streets. They are visible reminders of the values that define North Adams: courage, sacrifice, humility, duty, resilience, and the love of country. They remind every person who passes by that this community remembers our veterans."

 

The banner program launched exactly a year ago. Veterans Services Agent Kurtis Durocher opened applications in October and spent the next six months working with families to bring the project to Main Street and over the Hadley Overpass. 

 

"We gather to recognize the brave men and women from our community who have served or who are currently serving in the United States armed forces," Durocher said. "These banners are more than images. They bear a tribute to service, sacrifice, courage, and pride, and they remind us that the freedoms we enjoy every day have been protected by our neighbors, family members, friends, and Hometown Heroes."

 

Each banner features a portrait of a veteran alongside their military branch and dates of service.

 

Durocher noted that the program was something residents clearly wanted, pointing to how fast applications flooded his desk. He praised the volunteers who stepped up to get the banners made and displayed — including city firefighters and Mitchell Meranti of Wire & Alarm Department, who were installing them as late as Thursday night.