Tautznik notches seventh term as Easthampton's mayor
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EASTHAMPTON - Voters awarded incumbent Mayor Michael A. Tautznik a seventh term Tuesday after the most competitive mayoral race since the city's first, 13 years ago.
Tautznik, 56, of 166 Hendrick St., received 2,542 votes, or 49 percent of the 5,178 votes cast Tuesday, beating out City Councilor James P. Kwiecinski, Margaret M. Prendergast and Albert J. DiCarlo.
Tautznik trumped the second-place Kwiecinski by 583 votes, an 11 percent margin. Prendergast received 670 votes and DiCarlo drew 75.
"I'm hoping the message we delivered was one of experience and success," Tautznik said Tuesday night at a crowded celebration at the Brass Cat on Union Street. "It's back to work tomorrow."
The race drew 5,178 voters, or 46 percent of the city's 11,227 enrolled voters, according to City Clerk Barbara LaBombard, who said she had not seen a local election turnout that high since 1996, the city's first election for mayor.
Tautznik credited his team of more than 300 volunteers, including campaign manager Ray Drewnowski, a union organizer for health care workers.
"The people were huge," Tautznik said. "It was the commitment."
Drewnowski said that the team was "thrilled" that Tautznik garnered nearly half of the vote.
"We pushed hard to get out the vote," Drewnowski said.
Volunteer Shawn Robinson said that campaign volunteers had to call approximately 1,000 people Tuesday who said they would vote Tautznik, but had not yet shown up at the polls.
It likely made the difference for Tautznik, Robinson said.
Kwiecinski noted Tuesday night that Tautznik did not garner the support of half the voters.
"Fifty-one percent of folks in Easthampton were for change," Kwiecinski said. "This has been an excellent opportunity for the citizens of Easthampton to express their desire for change."
Kwiecinski beat Tautznik in the mayor's own district by 18 votes and held him off in the challenger's district by 26 votes.
Kwiecinski, who will not be a member of any elected government body come January, said he plans to keep a close eye on Tautznik's administration and will continue to advocate against the expansion of the Northampton landfill, which was one way his campaign team tried to differentiate Kwiecinski from Tautznik.
"We will be vigilant in watching what this administration does," Kwiecinski said. "Who knows when we'll have the next race? It might be 2011."
Prendergast offered her congratulations to Tautznik Tuesday night and said she was proud of her campaign team.
"I'm thankful for everything that came to me and all I've learned," Prendergast said. "It will be put to good use."
DiCarlo said Tuesday that if Tautznik takes away anything from the election, it should be the need for the mayor to be more open to outside ideas and to relate better to citizens.
"It's the communication," DiCarlo said. "That's what he's getting paid for." The mayor maintains that he has kept an open office.
During the campaign, Tautznik touted his experience managing the city's $32 million budget and pointed voters to major projects completed under his administration.
Main Street resident Daniel Meade said Tuesday at the polls that projects like the Millside Park bandshell and improvements to the old mills convinced him to support Tautznik.
"I love the direction Easthampton is going in and I want to continue the progress," he said.
Katy Berube, a teacher who lives on Bayberry Avenue, said she supported Tautznik because she is concerned "with the economics of living here for the rest of my life."
"I voted for Mike because I believe he has the right vision for the future of Easthampton."
Tautznik said that one thing he learned during his campaign was "don't drop your political activity" - and to be ready for challenges.
Tautznik had just over $2,000 in his campaign account when challengers began emerging this year. "We let the political level subside," he said.
But not everyone at the polls wanted to see the incumbent re-elected.
"I think it's time for a new mayor," said Prendergast supporter Edward Hanlon Jr. of Northampton Street.
Kwiecinski supporter Barbara Coopee had similar sentiments. She likened Tautznik's long tenure to being "a king."
As did Lorraine Montalto, who said she also voted for Kwiecinski.
"It's not good to have the same person for too many years," she said.
This year's election represented the city's first contested mayoral race since 1999, and only the third in the 13 years Easthampton has been a city.
In all, 2,044, or 18 percent of the city's 11,227 registered voters, voted by lunchtime Tuesday, easily surpassing the total 11 percent turnout during the 2007 local election.
The mayoral race fueled the heaviest political fundraising in the city's history, particularly by Tautznik.
Candidates raised more than double what was gathered during the 1999 election season, when Tautznik faced challenger Jeanette G. Davis-Harris.
From May to Oct. 26 this year, Tautznik's re-election campaign raised $17,560.47 in contributions, while Kwiecinski raised $3,575. Prendergast raised $3,109 and Albert J. DiCarlo raised $50, according to mandatory campaign finance reports filed last week.
Easthampton has no primary election to narrow the race down to two, which is a unusual for a western Massachusetts city. Northampton, Greenfield and a number of other cities in the four western counties have the provision for primary elections.
That reality left city voters with no way to gauge candidates' chances or support beyond word on the street, the amount of money their campaigns raised, or, for some, the number of signs stuck in front lawns and other areas around the city.
"There's no meter," DiCarlo said Tuesday, standing outside Easthampton High School with a campaign sign.
Candidates said during the campaign that their best strategy was to reach as many people as possible - whether by knocking on doors or through mailings and advertising - and to keep lists of residents who said they would vote for them on Election Day.
Matt Pilon can be reached at mpilon@gazettenet.com.
