After three terms, Agawam, Massachusetts, Mayor Bill Sapelli is stepping aside and not running for re-election. With a four-way race to succeed him, the town is holding a mayoral preliminary Tuesday.
At a recent meet-the-candidates night at the Agawam Public Library, City Council and mayoral candidates stood behind tables, greeting residents.
Mayoral candidate Andy Montefusco, a political newcomer, owns a snack delivery business and had a large box of Utz potato chips on his table.
"I work seven days a week, day and night," Montefusco said. "If you fall behind — even over a potato chip — you'll never catch up."
Montefusco decided to run for mayor after tussling with the Agawam Senior Center, he said, about staying open late.
"Long story short, it started about five years ago. We used to have a card game at the senior center in Agawam. It actually used to stay open until nine," Montefusco said.
While petitioning the state to change a law making low -stakes card games legal in a town building, Montefusco said he learned a lot. He is still pushing for the senior center to stay open late, he said.
While campaigning, Montefusco said he's heard from residents who are concerned about sewers and clean water.
Mayoral candidate William Clark is also paying attention to water and overall infrastructure.
"Wanna take a ride off the main roads and go through residential neighborhoods?" Clark said. "You will see patch on patch on patch [on the roads. You will see broken water lines that have been paved over because they had to open up the road."
The town of Agawam needs to be more responsive to residents, he said.
"We have a budget that ignores neighborhoods," said Clark, who has a background in business and works at a local publishing facility.
Clark is also questioning the math for building a new high school — and how much the state is willing to pay.
The two other mayoral candidates are longtime Agawam elected officials.
Cecilia Calabrese has spent 18 years on the City Council. She has also been on the board of the Massachusetts Municipal Association, and she said that's a plus.
"I've been known to be a bit of a loud mouth when it comes to issues that affect us statewide," Calabrese said.
One focus during the campaign has been on Agawam's economic development, which Calabrese said is stagnant.
"People need to know [the town is] a place to do business," she said. "That will keep the town affordable to live in."
Especially with the need for a new school building, Calabrese said, and a public safety complex.
"What people are interested in is maintaining or improving services without spiking the tax bill," Calabrese said.
Calabrese has lived in other parts of the country and said that experience gives her a unique perspective on local government. Meanwhile, candidate Chris Johnson is campaigning as a lifelong resident of Agawam.
"Proverbially, what they say, once it's in your blood it's difficult to get it out," said Johnson, who is currently president of Agawam's City Council and was the mayor two decades ago.
Keeping an eye on Agawam's public schools, Johnson described the need to close an achievement gap, and bring the district's technology up to date. But overall, he said, Agawam is going in the right direction.
"I think we have it on a very positive trajectory right now, working with the current mayor and the current City Council, and I'd like to keep that positive direction going," Johnson said.
The top two candidates in Tuesday's preliminary will advance to the November ballot, along with other city races.
Agawam voters will also get to decide if they want to change the date of future preliminary elections. Currently it takes place just a few weeks before the general election.
If the preliminary were in September — like in other western Massachusetts communities, Agawam's town clerk said the timing would allow for early mail-in voting.
