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Date: 6/8/2021
EASTHAMPTON – Easthampton City Council President Peg Conniff announced that she will not be seeking a fourth term on the Easthampton City Council in the November election.
Conniff, who has been a part of the council for six years and president of the council for two, told Reminder Publishing that she knew this would be her last term during her previous run for reelection.
“My wife and I retired last January and February and little did we know there would be a pandemic at the time,” said Conniff. “[The pandemic] made us both realize you don’t know what tomorrow has in store for you.”
One of Conniff’s favorite experiences over the past years in Easthampton was interacting with all the people in the community and learning from each person’s different perspectives.
“Never before having been involved in local government, it was kind of eye opening, the thoughts that people had,” said Conniff, who was never a part of local government until joining the council six years ago.
From a policy perspective, Conniff said she is proud of spearheading the Welcoming Community Ordinance which prohibits city officials from arbitrarily reviewing a person’s immigration status unless required by law. She also said that she is happy to have worked on the Easthampton Senior Tax Work-Off pilot program, which will allow seniors who qualify to give back to the community, and in return, reduce their property taxes.
“I would say those are the two things I’m most proud of,” said Conniff, who also added that the cannabis ordinance was also “very exciting” to work on.
Conniff has lived in Easthampton since 2012 but was originally born and raised in Chicago. She moved east in 1989 because her job at the time transferred her to Connecticut. She lived in various places in Connecticut for 32 years.
“Easthampton was the first place that I went to where I actually felt like I wanted to make it my home,” said Conniff.
The councilor got involved with Easthampton’s local government after having a conversation with a friend. Her original plan was to find her way onto one of the city’s committees. “There was an opportunity, and I just gave it a go,” she added.
Conniff encourages anyone looking to participate in local government to do so. She believes that people who are running for local government should find the importance in hearing the countless other perspectives and voices in the community.
“I think that all of us can get into a box, and the people we surround ourselves with are like minded people,” said Conniff. “When you go into local government, you realize that there are a million different voices out there, and you get to hear them much louder than you ever would not being in government.”
If people are truly interested in making some type of impact within their city, Conniff said that running for local government would be a great route to go in.
“You just have to let people know that you’re interested, and let people get to know you, and let them decide,” said Conniff. “That’s what elections are for.”
Once she officially ends her term in December, Conniff said that she will be able to do some traveling with her wife since the pandemic seems to be lifting a little bit. She currently works at the Northampton vaccination clinic and describes her time there as “unbelievably rewarding.”
She hopes to help the community in other ways, as well.