EASTHAMPTON — In a special meeting of the Easthampton City Council on Feb. 26, the council voted to have former Councilor Peg Conniff rejoin the council and serve out the remainder of former Councilor Owen Zaret’s term. Zaret resigned his position earlier in early February.
Conniff, one of six residents who vied for the spot, noted her experience and her ability “to hit the ground running” in her opening remarks.
“There is no one in this room more surprised [for me] to be standing here than I,” said Conniff in her opening remarks. “I believe I am uniquely qualified and have the relevant experience to fill this position right now.”
Conniff previously served on the council for six years, two of those as president of the council. She said her strength lies in her significant work on the Finance Committee but that she has also “cultivated positive working relationships” and believes that listening is one of the council’s most important jobs.
“You have to get out there,” she said. “You have to meet people.”
In its first experience with ranked-choice voting, Conniff earned five first-place votes, with Kiam Jamrog-McQuaid coming in second place with two first-place votes. Jamrog-McQuaid spoke deeply about his love of the city and his unique perspective as a younger candidate.
“I care deeply about this community and its people,” said Jamrog-McQuaid. “I feel a strong drive to serve this community.”
The only other candidate to earn a first-place vote was Maren Bhagat, who had also spoken of her love for the city that had given her a sense of home.
“I have a deep love for Easthampton, the first and only place that has truly inspired me to put down roots,” said Bhagat.
Council President Salem Derby noted the rarity of having a large number of candidates for this election.
“It’s really kind of mind-blowing to me the quality of candidates we have here,” said Derby, who added that the candidates are all “willing to sacrifice time and energy” to do this job.
Conniff was sworn in immediately after the vote and will serve until the November 2025 election.
While Conniff does not intend to run in that election, several of the other candidates indicated that they do intend to run for City Council in the fall.
