North Adams Nomination Papers Available for Election 2023
NORTH ADAMS, Mass. — Jennifer Macksey has taken out papers for a second two-year term as mayor.
Macksey, the first woman to be elected to the office, is so far the only one to take out papers when they became available last week.
There will also be nine two-year seats on the City Council and three four-year seats each on the North Adams and McCann school committees.
Two City Council incumbents have so far drawn papers. Bryan Sapienza will be seeking his second full term. He was elected by the council to fill a vacancy in June 2021 and then won a full term in the November election. Ashley Shade was also elected for a full term in 2021 and is now seeking a second.
Two potential challengers have emerged for the nine at-large seats: Ronald Sheldon and Deanna Morrow.
Sheldon has appeared on the ballot in the past with a focus on the issues of disabled residents and is a member of the Commission on Disabilities. Morrow is a direct care support worker at the Brien Center's Keenan House North and a recent graduate of Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts. She moved to the city in 2018 from Boston and says her focus is on increasing addiction resources, expanding affordable and accessible housing, and more development in public transportation.
There are three four-year seats up for election on the School Committee currently held by Karen Bond, Tara Jacobs and Alyssa Tomkowicz, who was elected by city and school officials to complete the term of Joshua Vallieres, who had resigned. Vallieres was elected in 2021 to finish the last two years of an unexpired term.
As of Friday, only Jacobs had taken out nomination papers. However, two newcomers have also taken out papers: Cody Chamberlain and Eric Wilson.
Chamberlain had also put himself forward last month as a candidate to complete Vallieres' term. He studied education and economic development at Massachusetts Institute of Technology and moved to North Adams in 2021. Although he was not elected, he was shortly thereafter appointed to the Youth Commission. Wilson also is a member of the city's Commission on Disabilities and a frequent participant in city events.
Peter Breen has taken out papers for re-election to a second term representing North Adams on the McCann School Committee. Also up for election are longtime committee members George Canales and William Diamond.
All offices require the signature of 50 registered voters in the city of North Adams. Nomination papers must be submitted to the Registrars of Voters for certification by Aug. 1 and certified signatures to the city clerk by Aug. 15.
A preliminary election, if needed, is scheduled for Sept. 19 from 9 to 7 and the general election for Tuesday, Nov. 7, also from 9 to 7.
The last day register to vote in the preliminary is Aug. 30 and in the general election Oct. 18. Last day to vote by absentee ballot is by noon on Sept. 18 and Nov. 6, respectively.
Tags: election 2023, municipal election,
