The race will decide who replaces outgoing city councilor Charles Kronick, a conservative whose chaotic and confrontational approach to legislation has made him a lightning rod. He told WAMC in June that he would not seek a second term on the 11-member council. On Tuesday, attorney Brittany Bandani placed first with 166 votes, and landlord Alexander Blumin came in second with 150. Social worker Soncere Williams was eliminated with 122.
“I think the most important thing that I stand for is the fact that city council is a collaborative body," Bandani told WAMC. "Not one person can stand and say, I'm going to do this, I'm going to get this done, I'm responsible for this. You need people who can work with others, who can reach agreement, who can look over information and data, who can share ideas, who can listen.”
Her message is in stark contrast with Kronick, who went as far as to tell WAMC that he “never really accepted consensus as an objective in government.” Bandani says she has nothing against councilors taking principled stances or lodging charter objections, but that voters wanted a more collaborative approach.
“That can't be all the time," said the candidate. "You can't just go into a space and try to take control and be in charge and be the one who makes all the decisions. And if that means obstructing a vote, if that means belaboring a process, who pays for that? The taxpayers. Who bears that burden in the end? The voters. So, I think- Is it a referendum? I would hesitate to make a statement that sweeping, but I think people are tired of this sort of grandstanding and this idea that one person's in charge and this idea that you should be yelling all the time and making these big statements. How about we bring civility back? How about we bring conversation back? How about we bring listening back?”
Blumin has received Kronick’s blessing, and is running on a pro-business, anti-tax platform.
“What I see are the main issues in city of Pittsfield are rising property taxes, water and sewer, extremely large city budget, crime, panhandling, drug issues- Those are my main issues," he told WAMC. "Of course, we need to improve roads and sidewalks.”
Blumin immigrated to Pittsfield in 1994.
“I ask people to disregard my pronunciation," he said. "It's not important. I promise to improve it. But I live in United States 29 years. So, I was born in Ukraine. I do have such pronunciation.”
He says in addition to the general election, he’s working on another political project this year.
“I'm going to start collecting signatures for city referendum to lower mayors the terms back to two years as it was before," said Blumin. "That's extremely important issue. Having four years for Pittsfield is wrong.”
Mayor Linda Tyer, who is not seeking re-election, was the first person in city history to serve a four-year term after winning the 2016 election.
Neither Bandani nor Blumin chose to endorse either of the candidates in the general election for mayor, city councilor president Peter Marchetti or former Ward 6 city councilor John Krol. Williams told WAMC Thursday that she is not endorsing either candidate in the Ward 2 race at this time.
Election day is November 7th.
