Fighting for You

Since the day I discovered it, I’ve been tirelessly pushing back against City Hall’s dangerous and ill-conceived overdevelopment policy, which removed (already insufficient) protections around affordability, green space, parking, and more. I’ve pushed for transparency around closed-door pandemic-era proceedings and brought their far-reaching ramifications into the public consciousness. I’ve been in constant contact with city councilors and officials, affected residents, and awesome activists, organizing strategies, drafting legislation, learning about the issues, and spreading the knowledge. The amazing neighbors and Northamptonians I’ve gotten to know along the way have more than made up for the disappointment of having my eyes opened to the disempowerment and downward spiral that many feel when it comes to the future of the city.

To that end, I’ve spearheaded the city’s first resident-sponsored rezoning ordinance to reassert residential regulations that until 2022 ensured safety, affordability, and environmental protections for new constructions. That legislation will be presented to the City Council this month, bringing the discussion into the public view, despite City Hall’s attempts to avoid it. My hope is that other similarly affected communities targeted by this administration’s irresponsible deregulatory policies and lack of open oversight can learn from my experience and use it as a blueprint to protect themselves. If you and your neighbors are struggling with unnavigable bureaucracy, please don’t hesitate to reach out at Dan@DanForMayor.com

In the streets, on the phone, over zoom, or behind a podium, I’ve devoted myself to bringing oversight and transparency to government decisions that were made and executed without any. I’ve seen firsthand the lengths to which the Sciarra administration will go to silence their detractors and stymie any investigation into their decisions.

With super-charged upzonings that allow dozens of oversized unregulated luxury developments, a Complete Streets initiative that encourages the DPW to leave unsafe sidewalks and roads as-is, a Sustainable Northampton Comprehensive Plan that forces unnecessary austerity on all our public institutions, and the unpopular Picture Main Street’s groundbreaking on the horizon, it’s more pressing than ever that we have someone running City Hall who is devoted to rolling back power-grabs, putting an end to the culture of secrecy, and promising once and for all that we will do everything we can to preserve and protect this city that we all love.