In the upcoming Northampton election, four candidates are vying for two City Council at-large seats.
On Nov. 7, four names will appear on the ballot for Councilor-at-Large: Incumbent Marissa Elkins, Ward 4 Councilor Garrick M. Perry, former city councilor David A. Murphy and former mayoral candidate Roy C. Martin.
Current city councilor Jamilia Gore will not be running for a second term in office. Gore was the first African American woman to hold the at-large seat.
Marissa Elkins
Elkins is running for her second term in office with a commitment to public health and safety.
Elkins believes Northampton has done an “outstanding” job in considering police reform and the city’s plan to address public health and safety. If elected, she hopes to continue with these initiatives.
Elkins is a managing partner of Northampton criminal defense law firm Elkins, Auer, Rudof, & Schiff, LLC. Elkins believes her law background has helped her understand how municipal laws interact with state and federal legislation.
“I think criminal defense has given me perspective on certain issues that face city government,” explained Elkins. “I have been able to put [my degree] to use and it helps me focus on what I want to advocate for.”
Elkins, alongside Gore and Perry, wrote a resolution to study racialized harm against the residents and workers of Northampton.
“I thought this commission ought to be taking a look at the pretty critical points in history and Northampton’s history and then sort of nationally where communities of color developed or began to take root in Northampton,” Elkins explained.
Elkins has called Northampton home for 20 years, and she hopes to bring more diversity to the city and community: a community of which she believes Smith College is an active part.
“The Smith community is always part of our thoughts and our discussions and gets factored into the equation,” she emphasized. “That does not go away whether or not in terms of voters Smith students are a big part of our electoral base. They are still part of our community and who we need to look out for.”
Garrick M. Perry
Current Ward 4 Councilor Perry is running with the aim of bringing diversity to Northampton and its city council.
Perry, the second African American man to be a ward councilor in Northampton, wants to show that diversity and visibility matter. As the Ward 4 councilor, he was on a select committee to study barriers to service. The committee found the majority of those serving on city council committees are older women and men, most of whom are white.
“I felt it was really important that someone, a person of color, represented the city,” Perry said. “Representation really matters for me.”
As a member of the band The Alchemystics and a former employee of Bishop’s Lounge, a Northampton music venue, Perry is also involved with local entertainment. When the pandemic struck, the city’s music and nightlife scene suffered due to venue closures.
Following the pandemic, the Iron Horse Music Hall reopened and the Calvin Theatre was purchased by The Bowery Presents, an independent promotion company based in New York City, with plans to return. Perry is aiming to revitalize and bring back the city’s music scene.
“Whether it’s performing with The Alchemystics or running Bishop’s, it has been all about community and bringing people together,” he explained.
In his current seat, Perry oversees half of the downtown area and the residences near Smith College.
“I want to see more interaction with Smith College in our downtown,” Perry stated. “I would really like to expand our presence, the city’s presence, on Smith and have a back-and-forth dialogue.”
“I would love to foster that communication with the city of Northampton, I think sometimes we think we are on two different islands, but we are symbiotic,” Perry said.
David A. Murphy
As a previous member of the city council and a lifelong resident of Northampton, Murphy wants to work towards making the city more affordable for its residents.
Murphy volunteers in Northampton and serves as the Chairman of the Board of Assessors. As the chairman, he is required by Massachusetts law to value every property in Northampton. In addition to holding public office, Murphy is a real estate broker.
“I’ve been heavily involved in the city for 40 years and have spent 14 years on the council,” said Murphy. “The one special skill set I bring to the council is a very thorough understanding of the economics and budgeting of the city.”
“The mayor needs more money to do what she wants to do,” he explained. “I am concerned about that [her wanting more money] because, for the average citizen, it is getting really expensive to live in the city [Northampton].”
According to Murphy, Northampton is made up of five major entities: the city government, the courts, the Daily Hampshire Gazette, the Cooley Dickinson Hospital and Smith College.
“Smith College is our largest residential taxpayer,” he explained. “They pay a huge stormwater fee.”
He believes that Smith not only benefits the city financially through taxes, but the students contribute by supporting the local businesses and restaurants in Northampton.
“It’s not just the payroll and the footprint it takes up, it’s the students because [Smith students] live here, change the character of the community — [Smith is] a major component of what makes Northampton different than just any other town in New England,” said Murphy.
Roy C. Martin
Martin is a first-time city council candidate, but following his ten campaigns for Mayor of Northampton, he describes himself as a “professional candidate.”
“Running for public office, you’re doing your duty — you’re doing your service to the other people,” said Martin. “Even in the offseasons, I was a candidate — I would go out and talk with a lot of people.”
He has lived in Northampton for around 30 years. Amongst other professions, Martin has served in the Marine Corps and owned a pet-supply business.
“I don’t have a college education,” Martin explained. “I learned everything I learned through life — and I’ve learned a lot through life.”
Martin is running for an at-large seat with priorities of supporting veterans, affordable housing and advocating for local businesses.
“We need a lot more veteran support,” he said, “[Veterans] got out there and they did everything they had to do.”
He also expressed his concerns about the “Picture Main Street” project, which would increase the pedestrian walkways in downtown Northampton, as well as reduce traffic lanes and parking spaces. Martin is worried about further traffic congestion and loss of business due to parking changes.
“If they’re gonna cut it down to one lane, what are they going to do with all this traffic that goes up to the Hilltowns [towns to the west]?” he said. “There are businesses downtown that are against it because they are afraid they are going to lose business because there’s no parking.”
He acknowledged Smith students’ contributions to business in Northampton and the value of the college as an academic institution.
“The students do a lot — they go shopping in Downtown a lot,” said Martin. “Some very smart people have come to Smith […] Smith is a good place for learning.”
Voting for Northampton residents will be open from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Nov. 7. To find your polling location, click here.
