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Candidates and their supporters were out and about on Tuesday, urging voters to support them. Above, William Garrity and Kathleen Amuso stand out with others at Capeless Elementary.
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Mayoral candidate John Krol with supporters at the Berkshire Athenaeum.
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Mayral candidate Peter Marchetti with his supporters at Reid Middle School.
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At-large candidates Peter White and Lukas Marion with Ward 5's Patrick Kavey, who's running unopposed, outside the library.

Voters Turning Out for Pittsfield Election

By Brittany Polito & Sabrina DammsiBerkshires Staff
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Plenty of room to vote at Capeless Elementary School during a slowdown earlier Tuesday. The city was at about a 16 percent turnout with five more hours of voting to go.  

PITTSFIELD, Mass. — Voters are getting to the polls to elect the City Council, School Committee, city clerk, and a new mayor. 

There were 6,050 votes cast more than halfway through the day, which is a 19.64 percent turnout.  Numbers have already surpassed September's preliminary election, which had about 16 percent turnout. 

The last mayoral election saw a 42 percent turnout.

Candidates and supporters sign-holding at the polling stations on the sunny Tuesday that had just a few raindrops. 

Mayoral candidates Peter Marchetti and John Krol said they were feeling positive and looking forward to the results. Each has addressed alleged controversies during their campaigns

"I'm feeling really great. There's been a lot of positive feedback from the voters so far today and a lot of thumbs up and waves," Marchetti said. 

"So, we're looking forward to the eight o'clock hour when we'll start to hear the results." 

Krol was feeling "amazing" and said he couldn't have asked for better November weather, adding it would help turnout and his campaign. 

"I feel good," he said. "The vibes have been amazing. The people in this city have seen really everything that we've been talking about is resonating and at the polls, it's been just absolute positivity so we're excited." 

Temperatures were in the low 60s early on Tuesday, though a chill wind picked up later in the afternoon and the skies threatened rain. 

At-large candidates Pete White, Kathy Amuso, and Luke Marion are also feeling positive. 

"I'm feeling good," White said, explaining that he is "cautiously optimistic." 

Amuso explained that she has put in her best effort, going door to door, going to events, and sending out materials. 

"I've done everything that I possibly could so I am hoping the outcome is positive for me," she said. 

Marion is feeling excited and relaxed about the results, as it is the voters' choice.

"I'm not nervous at all," he said. "It's out of my hands. It's in everybody else's so there's nothing to be nervous about."

School Committee candidate William Garrity is feeling confident, as there are six people vying for six seats. 

Garrity is looking to be a fresh set of eyes on the committee and recognizes the importance of addressing student's mental health needs. 

"Budget season is going to come up real quick and with the end of the ESSER funds, one of the first priorities we need to figure out is how do we continue to support students' mental health after the ESSER funds run out under our current budget," he explained. 

"Because I think students' mental health is one of the most important things we need to address." 

By 3 p.m., 1,274 Ward 1 voters had cast their ballots at Reid Middle School. Voter turnout has risen from around 500 voters between 9 a.m. and noon to nearly 700 from noon to 3 p.m. as more residents visit the polling station.

Ward 5 precinct A had more than 390 votes cast by 3 p.m. 

Look for results on iBerkshires later tonight. 


Tags: election 2023,   municipal election,   


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Pittsfield Council Endorses 11 Departmental Budgets

By Brittany PolitoiBerkshires Staff

PITTSFIELD, Mass. — The City Council last week preliminarily approved 11 department budgets in under 90 minutes on the first day of fiscal year 2025 hearings.

Mayor Peter Marchetti has proposed a $216,155,210 operating budget, a 5 percent increase from the previous year.  After the council supported a petition for a level-funded budget earlier this year, the mayor asked each department to come up with a level-funded and a level-service-funded spending plan.

"The budget you have in front of you this evening is a responsible budget that provides a balance between a level service and a level-funded budget that kept increases to a minimum while keeping services that met the community's expectations," he said.

Marchetti outlined four major budget drivers: More than $3 million in contractual salaries for city and school workers; a $1.5 million increase in health insurance to $30.5 million; a more than  $887,000 increase in retirement to nearly $17.4 million; and almost $1.1 million in debt service increases.

"These increases total over $6 million," he said. "To cover these obligations, the city and School Committee had to make reductions to be within limits of what we can raise through taxes."

The city expects to earn about $115 million in property taxes in FY25 and raise the remaining amount through state aid and local receipts. The budget proposal also includes a $2.5 million appropriation from free cash to offset the tax rate and an $18.5 million appropriation from the water and sewer enterprise had been applied to the revenue stream.

"Our government is not immune to rising costs to impact each of us every day," Marchetti said. "Many of our neighbors in surrounding communities are also facing increases in their budgets due to the same factors."

He pointed to other Berkshire communities' budgets, including a 3.5 percent increase in Adams and a 12 percent increase in Great Barrington. Pittsfield rests in the middle at a 5.4 percent increase.

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