Northampton Mayor Gina-Louise Sciarra has announced her bid for reelection.
Photo credit: Mayor Gina-Louise Sciarra’s campaign team
NORTHAMPTON — Mayor Gina-Louise Sciarra is officially set to begin her reelection campaign following an announcement of her decision on March 9.
In the statement posted on the mayor’s campaign website, Sciarra said she hopes to serve the city for another four-year term and that the community can continue its collaboration in creating a more accessible, equitable and sustainable Northampton.
“Being mayor is not a one-person job. To get things done and make things better requires robust collaboration. The greatest joy and satisfaction I experience as mayor is working with an incredible team of public servants and an engaged community always ready to step up,” Sciarra said.
In the announcement Sciarra shared some highlight investments made in response of the city’s challenges during her first term:
- Secured increased funding for roads and sidewalks as part of new five-year Capital Improvement Program.
- Launched the Division of Community Care, which has reimagined crisis response in Northampton through providing compassionate, unarmed support that has helped nearly 2,000 people facing emotional distress, substance use challenges and housing security.
- The launching of the Climate Action and Project Administration Department, or CAPA, with the aim of leading the city toward carbon neutrality. This has led to the city being selected as one of 10 municipalities in the state to participate in a pilot program banning all use of fossil fuels in future building construction.
- Advancement of the Picture Main Street redesign — positioned to leverage nearly $30 million in state funding to revitalize downtown with a groundbreaking scheduled for next year.
- Established the Special Education Stabilization Fund to support critical student services.
- City awarded $4 million in federal ARPA funds to expand housing and shelter services, address food insecurity, support small businesses and nonprofits, strengthen healthcare access, support early education and childcare and invest in arts, culture and recreation — including helping to reopen the Iron Horse.
- Support for downtown initiatives including outdoor dining, live music and seasonal events driving the city’s COVID-19 recovery and boosting local businesses and revitalized public spaces.
“These achievements, driven by our collective resolve, reflect Northampton’s core values of equity, resilience and community,” Sciarra said.
Sciarra added as she aims for reelection, the need for all people of Northampton to work together is even more urgent now in the face of the current White House administration. While there are challenges that lie ahead, Sciarra said she believes in the community’s ability to come together in these increasingly difficult times.
This is a sentiment that has been shared often by Sciarra since last November, and especially during the recent ongoing struggle of funding within the district schools. While she did not mention the schools specifically in the announcement, Sciarra said collaboration is key in resolving any of the city’s issues.
Sciarra has faced much criticism for the funding situation of the schools where the loss of federal coronavirus pandemic relief funds has led to the elimination of around 20 staff across the district despite an increase in the overall budget. Those actions have led to numerous protests and intense debate amongst the School Committee and the City Council, including its March 6 meeting where they found a $294,883.02 compromise to at least temporarily restore some of the jobs through the end of the school year. Sciarra has been consistent in saying that increasing the school budget any further in an instance such as this would lead to an increase of the deficit in the next fiscal year.
The issue is expected to remain relevant as the budgeting season ramps up and the city resolves the district finances post coronavirus pandemic-era assistance in future fiscal years.
Before deciding on the reelection bid, Sciarra said she had been thinking often about a text from predecessor David Narkewicz the day after the 2016 presidential election when she was still a city councilor.
“He wrote, ‘Councilor Sciarra, I know this feels terrible, but now more than ever, our city needs us and we are going to get up and get to work for our community,’” Sciarra said.
Sciarra said it was the kick she needed to shake out of her fog and that she was going to own her responsibility to the community.
“I remained on the City Council through the first Trump administration, and I served as council president and as mayor through the waves of the COVID-19 pandemic,” Sciarra said. “We not only preserved through those experiences, but we grew together as a community. And I am confident Northampton residents will again step up to ensure we stay true to our values. As I said on my first day as Mayor in January 2022, ‘Have faith in Northampton … There is no place that I know of where the people do more to make democracy work, and do more for each other, or care more about their city and its responsibility to the larger world.”
Sciarra received nearly 70% of the total vote when elected as mayor in 2021 when she defeated opponent Marc Werner. She plans to meet with as many constituents as possible to share more about what has been achieved by the city during her term as mayor and to receive feedback on what they can do going forward.
If interested in scheduling a small gathering with Sciarra at your home or elsewhere, you can fill out the online form at glsciarra.com/volunteer and choose “host a house party” or email campaign@glsciarra.com.
At this point in time, Sciarra is set to face at least one challenger as former Northampton police officer David Dombrowski has filled an election campaign with the Massachusetts Office of Campaign and Political Finance as of January. Reminder Publishing reached out to Dombrowski for comment, but did not hear back by press time.
Sciarra will host a kick-off event for her reelection bid on Monday, March 24 at 6:30 p.m., and the public is invited to participate in a campaign kickoff event for Sciarra at the Iron Horse, which was re-opened last year in thanks to the help of many citizen donations and the city’s Community Recovery Grant.
The mayor’s full statement announcing her reelection bid and more information on her campaign is available at glsciarra.com.
“The responsibilities of a mayor are many, and the task is never easy. But I believe the last few years have shown what we can accomplish when we work together to realize our shared values,” said Sciarra. “I am honored that you entrusted me with such an important job four years ago. I hope to earn your vote again in November.”
