NORTHAMPTON — Four candidates are vying for two at-large seats on the Northampton City Council, the only multi-candidate council race in the municipal election Nov. 7.

The candidates are Garrick Perry, the current Ward 4 city councilor; Marissa Elkins, an incumbent councilor-at-large; David Murphy, a former Ward 5 councilor who last served in 2019; and Roy Martin, who has previously run several mayoral campaigns before running for councilor at-large this year.

Garrick Perry 

Originally from the Washington, D.C. area, Perry came to the Pioneer Valley in 1997 to study at Amherst College and decided to stay after graduating, making Northampton his home.

He then worked in several service industry jobs at places including Spaghetti Freddy’s and the former Sylvester’s restaurant, before becoming a booking agent and manager at Bishop’s Lounge. He’s also the vocalist for local hip hop/reggae band The Alchemystics, and was first elected to the council in 2021.

One of two African Americans currently on the City Council, Perry would replace the other Black councilor, Jamila Gore, who announced she was stepping down from her position. In an interview, Perry said he felt it was important to ensure the council had diverse representation.

“I really do think representation matters,” he said. “And not only as a person of color, but as a renter, as a person of the service industry and the entertainment industry, which is what our city is traditionally known for.”

Perry also said that wants to focus on improving downtown Northampton’s nightlife, saying it would help the city’s local economy and attract new residents to the area.

“You can judge a city by how strong its nightlife is,” he said. “Not only is it a revenue thing, but also in terms of retaining workers, bringing in new people who want to build their lives here, having a place where college kids can mingle and meet each other after they graduate and start forming those bonds.”

David Murphy

Murphy said he was running to bring more financial guidance to the council in an attempt to reduce the cost of living. Residents in recent months have had to contend with a sharp increase in base water rates and are also facing the prospect of a Proposition 2½ budget override, which would further raise property taxes if passed.

“For people starting out or for the seniors who are on fixed incomes, this city is really expensive and it’s getting worse,” he said. “My real desire is to be in the room on the council, to be able to become involved in the discussion relative to this stuff.”

A lifelong resident of Northampton, Murphy spent 14 years on the City Council, until being unseated in 2019 by current Ward 5 Councilor Alex Jarrett, and has been volunteering for the city for more than 40 years. Eight of those years Murphy chaired the city’s Finance Committee, and he continues to serve on the Board of Assessors.

A licensed real estate agent, Murphy said he could provide valuable experience to current council members, most of whom are relatively new to their positions, particularly in the fields of finance and zoning.

“This is a strong-mayor form of government, but two of the areas where the City Council has a lot of authority are finance and zoning,” he said. “We got to approve the budget and zoning doesn’t happen without our approval, so that’s one area where we can make a big difference.”

Marisa Elkins

The only incumbent running for their own seat in the election is Elkins. Originally from Texas, Elkins moved to New England in 2002 before eventually settling in Northampton, where she works as a public defender.

First seated on the council in 2021, Elkins previously served on the Planning Board and chaired the campaign to approve the city’s most recent budget override.

Elkins said she was running again to continue the ongoing work she’s done on the council, particularly serving on the city’s Energy and Sustainability Commission and the Commission to Study Racialized Harm, the latter of which was created from a resolution that Elkins and Perry co-sponsored.

“We’re getting started with that work, and we have a lot more work to do,” she said. “The commission involves almost entirely folks who’ve not done this kind of municipal service before, so it’s a learning experience for all of us.”

Elkins also talked about the departure of police chief Jody Kasper, who is leaving to become police chief of Nantucket, and expressed hope that if reelected to the council, she could help in the search for a new chief.

“I’m not going to be shy about asking for consideration that I’d be part of that process,” Elkins said. “There’s more work that I want to do and that I would continue to be doing. Folks have two votes, so I’m just asking for one of them.”

Roy Martin

Although Martin has never formally served in Northampton’s city government, his name is familiar to anybody following the city’s politics. He has run for mayor 10 times over the past 20 years, all unsuccessfully, and has this year decided instead to throw his hat in the ring for the councilor at-large position.

“I’ve always kept my hand in the political jar,” Martin said. “Everybody always told me, ‘Roy, if you run for something different, I would vote for you.’”

Currently retired, Martin previously held various jobs, including fishing, working on an oil rig and running a pet supply business. He resides at the Walter Salvo House on Conz Street, and has previously served as president of the building’s tenants association.

Martin expressed concerns about the potential budget override, saying it showed fiscal irresponsibility on the part of the mayor and the city government.

“The mayor makes a budget, and all of a sudden they can’t live up to their budget because they have to have more money,” he said. “Whenever a budget is done, we’re the people that have to hold them to their bootstraps.”

Martin also expressed opposition to the planned redesign of Northampton’s Main Street, which would narrow Main Street to one lane in each direction while expanding the sidewalks and adding separate bike lanes.

“You’re going to have to have two [lanes] up and two down, and they’re saying one up and one down,” he said. “Else it will always be plugging up or having accidents all around.”

Alexander MacDougall can be reached at amacdougall@gazettenet.com.