North Adams Mayor Candidates Fined for Missing Filing Deadline

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NORTH ADAMS, Mass. — Two mayoral candidates have been fined for not filing their preliminary reports on time. 
 
Robert R. Moulton Jr. and Peter Oleskiewicz failed to file campaign reports with the Office of Campaign and Political Finance by the Sept. 11 filing date. Each was being fined $25 a day until their report is filed. This is a personal fine and committee funds may not be used. 
 
Election candidates were required to submit all campaign donations and expenditures between Jan. 1 and Sept. 1, 2017. 
 
As of Monday afternoon, Sept. 18, Moulton had not filed any reports. Oleskiewicz on Sunday filed a report showing no donations and no expenditures. 
 
Oleskiewicz, whose name is on the ballot for Tuesday's preliminary election, had said two weeks ago he was not actively running because of his job as a truck driver on A. Duie Pyle keeps him on the road. It was too late to remove his name from the ballot. However, he told The Berkshire Eagle on Friday that he was still in contention for mayor.  
 
Both Moulton and Oleskiewicz are vying against three other candidates, all of whom filed campaign finance reports by the Sept. 11 date. 
 
Robert M. Martelle, like Oleskiewicz, reported no donations and no campaign spending. 
 
Rachel Branch reported $225.60 in campaign donations from four supporters and spending $32.68, largely on printing campaign materials. 
 
Thomas W. Bernard had the most donations and spending, reporting $11,630 in receipts and $3,166.84 in expenditures. 
 
A number of the expenditures were for campaign events and materials, and processing fees for the Democracy Engine online payment system. Total donations were from 53 supporters, largely local, and $280 in unitemized contributions. 

Tags: campaign reports,   city election,   election 2017,   mayor,   


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North Adams Council Passes $65M Borrowing Authorization

By Tammy DanielsiBerkshires Staff

Diane Morrisey questions spending $20 million on a school and its impact on taxpayers, saying many people she's talked to feel the same way.
NORTH ADAMS, Mass. — The City Council on Monday unanimously authorized borrowing $65,362,859 to build a new Greylock School for prekindergarten through 2. The Massachusetts School Building Authority will pick up about $41,557,218 of the cost and balance is expected to come from federal energy grants. 
 
Voters will weigh in on Sept. 24 with a ballot vote to exclude the debt from Proposition 2 1/2 limits. Officials say the failure of the vote would mean millions having to be invested in Brayton with no corresponding match by the state. 
 
The 30-year tiered loan for about $20 million is expected to have its highest impact in 2029 when it will add $270 to the average tax bill, or about $22.50 a month.
 
"I have often said that our greatest asset is our students and we should invest in them wisely," said Mayor Jennifer Macksey. "Now is the time to seize this tremendous opportunity that has been presented to us from the MSBA."
 
The proposal also found support from two former mayors — Thomas Bernard and Richard Alcombright, who sits on the School Building Committee. 
 
Alcombright, who oversaw the renovation of Colegrove Park Elementary School during his tenure, echoed Macksey that the only money the city invests is "to educate our kids. The only one. The rest is simply to pay the bills."
 
"While we are not Andover, and we're not Newton, and we're not Weston, we're not Lexington, our children deserve nothing less in the way of education than those communities," Alcombright said. "We deserve nothing less."
 
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