Patricia DeAngelis: District 2
What would you say are the biggest challenges Amherst faces?
• Lack of diverse voices on the Council and on Committees hampers our ability to to address systemic racism in Town Government, Town Services, and Town staffing;
• The deep scars and divisions between residents and resident groups, that have resulted from “battles” over funding the four major projects, siting affordable housing, zoning changes that encourage greater density, and addressing issues of race and class in our community;
• High taxes that are, in some cases, limiting older residents’ ability to stay in Amherst and preventing young families and workers from renting or purchasing homes here;
• Tightness of our budget, which often limits our vision and ability to imagine and implement creative change.
What relevant experiences and qualities would you bring to the Town Council that would help it work through these challenges constructively and effectively?
My ability to address and work through challenges arises from my experiences working as a Town Councilor. I willingly listen to and am impacted by diverse voices and positions. I maintain a strong belief in collaboration and consensus building, which has been nurtured by my work as a social justice activist, a teacher and a learner. I work hard to understand issues and their potential impacts on our community. And, I am willing to speak my mind even when it differs from a majority.
Have you ever served on an elected board or committee in Amherst and if so, what were 3 of your most challenging votes?
Prior to be elected to represent District 2 on the Town Council, I was a member of Town Meeting.
The most difficult votes I’ve had to make were my no vote on defunding the Amherst Police, my yes vote to support a community responder program, and my vote to fund the renovation and expansion of the Jones Library.
I voted not to defund the Police Department by 52% because I believed that if we were going to re-imagine policing in our town, we would need time to understand policing from a variety of perspectives. We would need to create a plan of action that would lead to changes in the structure of our police department and in its relationship to the BIPOC community, the homeless community, and to residents struggling with mental health and substance abuse issues.
My yes vote to support the CRESS program was a given but it was also a challenge. I believed that the Finance Committee’s recommendation to limit the hiring of responders in the first year could lead to a failure of the program. Consequently, I choose to sponsor a resolution that would support the program and I also worked to create and pass an amendment to increase the budget recommendation from four responders in the first year to a minimum of eight.
I wrestled with how to vote on funding the expansion of Jones Library. I listened to residents whose views conflicted strongly on the how, the why, and the risk of a yes or no vote. My decision to vote yes was based on financial and social justice arguments. I continue to support this decision
What steps would you take to engage low-income residents, renters, residents of color, and other underrepresented voices?
I will continue to take the steps I have been taking while on the Council:
• Building personal connections with and listening to the voices of our BIPOC residents, our homeless community, renters, students, differently abled residents, and low and moderate - income residents.
• Engaging through district meetings, community events and committee meetings, and in one-on-one conversations.
• Volunteering with the Amherst Mobile Market, the Amherst Survival Center, and with the immigrant community;
• Encouraging diverse groups like the Carpenter’s Union, Reparations 4 Amherst, Ft. River sixth graders, the Amherst Mobile Market, Smart Solar Amherst, the League of Women Voters, and other community groups to sponsor resolutions and bylaws that address issues like racism, wage theft, reparations, deforestation, and women’s rights;
• Sharing information and responding to resident concerns directly via email, zoom and in person meetings; and
• Actively encouraging participation in council and committee meetings.
“One Town, One Plan” has been in development and in public discussion for over a decade. The plan is designed to meet the town’s most pressing infrastructure needs in a financially responsible way, and prioritizes the following four projects equally: the Jones Public Library Renovation & Expansion, the Elementary School Building Project, the Department of Public Works Building, and the South Amherst Fire Station. Do you support this plan? Why or why not?
Yes, I support this plan, but it is not without risks; risks that we have been working to understand and limit. We have been responsibly exploring the potential impacts of the plan on capital and operating funds, working to maintain our commitment to sustainability and trying to address the impact of passing a Debt Exclusion Override.
There are also risks if we chose not to Implement the plan. Interest rates could rise, and state funding could be lost, potentially making borrowing more expensive. Our Fire Fighters and EMTs and our DPW workers would continue to live and work in unhealthy buildings. The health of our students, school staff and community members would continue to be impacted by aging buildings and systems. We have been working hard as a community to come to a shared understanding, which has been elusive and difficult. And, that creates a cost to the community as well.
As a member of the Town Council, how would you engage and communicate with your constituents, including those who have not previously been active in town politics?
I will continue to take the steps I have been taking while on the Council:
• Building personal connections with Amherst’s residents through district meetings, neighborhood meetings, and one-on-one meetings;
• Listening to multiple voices in meetings with diverse resident groups, members of Town Departments and individuals to understand and consider their points of view;
• Working with diverse community groups like the Carpenter’s Union, Reparations 4 Amherst, Ft. River sixth graders, the Amherst Mobile Market, Smart Solar Amherst, the League of Women Voters, and other community groups to sponsor resolutions and bylaws that address issues like wage theft, racism, reparations, deforestation, women’s rights, solar siting;
• Sharing information with residents;
• Responding to community concerns directly via email, zoom and in person meetings;
• Creating and sustaining relationships through my volunteer work; and
• Directly encouraging participation in council and committee meetings.