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Date: 11/17/2021
AGAWAM – Just a day after Mayor William Sapelli won a third two-year term, the City Council voted unanimously on Nov. 3 to endorse extending the mayor’s term to four years.
The proposal would require approval from the state Legislature and local voters, and would not take effect until the mayoral term voted in November 2023.
The City Council has considered similar resolutions several times in recent years, but the proposal has not yet made it to the referendum ballot. Councilor Dino Mercadante said the council approved a four-year term once already, but the special legislation was held up in the state Legislature, and the council now has to ask again.
Councilor Rosemary Sandlin, a former state representative, said the wording of this year’s resolution fixes the legal problems that resulted in the last one being delayed and abandoned on Beacon Hill.
“It’s up to us to make sure that it doesn’t happen again, that we don’t hold this back,” said Sandlin. “We as councilors have to be vigilant on our state senator and our state representative to make sure this happens very quickly, so that we have the time to put it on the ballot.”
Councilor Gerald Smith said increasing the mayoral term from two years to four is has become a trend, particularly in Western Massachusetts. While Springfield has long had four-year terms for its mayor, Easthampton, Holyoke, Northampton and West Springfield have all adopted four-year terms in the past 10 years. Agawam, Chicopee and Westfield have stuck with two-year terms, though all three cities have discussed changing the term length.
“We need four years. Many of the projects that are developing can’t be done in a year and a half, really, because the last six months you’re trying to run again for mayor,” said Smith.
Changing the mayor’s term to four years makes sense, agreed Councilor Robert Rossi, because “two years is just not enough time.” Rossi said he believes that eventually, city councilors and School Committee members will also see their two-year terms lengthened.
Councilor George Bitzas said he disagreed with the resolution the last time it was voted. Elections every two years are a way to make sure politicians follow the will of the people, he asserted, saying “If we have one bad city councilor or mayor … why would we stick with them for four years? Two years is plenty, and the people have the right to stop somebody or reward them, and [let the mayor] continue to serve by their votes.”
He said that his comments were not directed to Sapelli, but it is impossible to know that every mayor Agawam elects in the future will perform well in office.
Bitzas and Mercadante both said although they voted against a four-year term in the past, they would support the resolution now, because they would like to see the matter decided by Agawam voters in a referendum vote.