2025 Candidate Questionnaire
Smart stewardship, stronger Amherst.
Amherst Forward is a small group of Amherst volunteers. We support open-minded candidates for office who seek innovative, practical solutions to our town’s challenges. These challenges are interwoven – Amherst needs to expand housing, advance school excellence, keep our roads and infrastructure in good shape, and broaden the tax base. Amherst can’t advance any one of these priorities at the expense of the others - they all have to move forward.
This questionnaire - together with any relevant in-person meetings and publicly available data (such as public voting records and appearances in local media) - was offered to every candidate to complete. Responses will help determine which candidates align with Amherst Forward's priorities. If there is alignment, we can work together with candidates to support their campaign, which may include endorsements closer to election day. We will not make responses to this questionnaire public without consent from the candidate, but candidates should feel free to publish their responses on their own websites and social media accounts.
Role
(Town Council Only) Amherst has a 13-person Town Council that hires and works with a professional Town Manager (and, through the Manager, Town staff). What do you see as the role of a Town Councilor in this system?
(School Committee Only) The Amherst School Committee is one of three school committees that hire and work with a professional School Superintendent (and, through the Superintendent, school staff). What do you see as the role of a School Committee member in this system?
Relevant Experience
(Incumbent) In addition to serving on the Council/as a School Committee member, what other experiences - including lived, professional, civic, and volunteer - shape your approach to serving on the Council/School Committee?
(New Candidate) What experiences - including lived, professional, civic, and volunteer - will shape your approach to serving on the Council/School Committee?
Collaborative decision-making
(Town Council) Individual Councilors represent their constituents in decision-making, but to be effective, they need to collaborate to get to a majority. Give an example of when you had to collaborate with others to solve a problem. What lessons learned would you apply as a Town Councilor (or have you applied if you currently serve as a Town Councilor)?
(School Committee) School Committees reach decisions by majority votes. Give an example of when you had to collaborate with others to solve a problem or make a decision. What lessons learned would you apply as a School Committee Member (or have you applied if you currently serve as a School Committee Member)?
Key town and School needs
What do you see as the top 3 key areas the Town or Schools needs to make progress in? How would you plan to help progress happen in those areas?
Council & School Committee accomplishments
What do you see as the biggest accomplishments of the Council or School Committee in this term? This can include the way it functioned, its governance, and/or specific initiatives or needs the Council or School Committee moved forward. For incumbents, what was your role in that success?
Council & School Committee shortcomings
Where did the Council or School Commitee fall short this term? How do you think it could have done better? This can include the way it functioned, its governance, and/or specific initiatives.
Motivation to serve
In 500 characters or less, what is your biggest motivation to serve as a Town Councilor/on the School Committee? (500 characters ~ 150 words)