Voters will head to the polls in the southern Berkshires on September 3 for the Democratic primary election for state representative. Smitty Pignatelli is leaving office after representing the district since 2003.
The three Democrats in the 3rd Berkshire District race — Leigh Davis, Jamie Minacci and Patrick White — all serve on select boards in the region.
And they all said they understand it can be hard to afford to live here.
"We have relatively low median income and relatively high housing prices," White said.
White serves on the Stockbridge Select Board and works as the chief financial officer at the Berkshire Waldorf High School, a nonprofit private school. In an interview, he pointed out many of the towns in the district have small populations. For example, Mount Washington has fewer than 200 people. Alford has fewer than 500.
White is looking for ways to bring in money other than property taxes, such as increasing the room occupancy excise tax rate on hotels and bed and breakfasts — and charging a small fee for concert tickets at places like Tanglewood.
"Every dollar that comes in from another source reduces a dollar in what you have to raise and appropriate from people in the district," he said.
Candidate Leigh Davis is the vice chair of the Great Barrington Select Board and the communications director for Construct, an affordable housing nonprofit. She agreed affordability is a big problem in the region, especially when it comes to housing.
"The need for workforce housing, the need for seniors to be able to stay in their homes and age in place, the need for first-time home buyers to get their foot on the ladder," she said in an interview.
Davis said she is exploring ways for the area to be paid for its undeveloped open space and forests, which are sequestering and storing carbon.
"One thing I've been looking at is a carbon capture credit. We are the 'lungs' of the commonwealth. We actually bring value to the rest of the state. And I think that we should see some revenue from that," Davis said.
She also pointed out another area for more revenue: the payments in lieu of taxes Massachusetts pays to communities for state-owned land that can’t be developed or taxed.
"I don't think we're getting enough money for that. And I think that's another formula that we need to explore and make the case for — again — more state funding," Davis said.
Candidate Jamie Minacci has worked as an educator in the public schools. She is also on the Stockbridge Select Board. Minacci said the region needs better infrastructure — in all its forms.
"It's paving roads, it's fixing bridges, it's broadband, it's cell phone towers. It is transportation," she said.
Minacci has worked to bring micro-transit to towns in the southern Berkshires, through the TriTown Connector. These are small buses that transport people, often seniors, at specific times, to medical and other appointments.
She said she has also made a difference by serving on boards and committees as a volunteer.
"Rolling up your sleeves. It isn't about glory or having your name in the paper all the time. It's about just actually doing the work," Minacci said.
Minacci said she has run a lean campaign. According to the state’s Office of Campaign and Political Finance, she had about $450 in cash on hand as of August 1. Leigh Davis had $16,929 and Patrick White had $22,765.
No Republican is running, so the winner of the September 3 Democratic primary will face off against independent Marybeth Mitts on November 5.
