By Paul Tuthill
http://stream.publicbroadcasting.net/production/mp3/wamc/local-wamc-955917.mp3
Springfield, MA – One of the regions longest serving mayors is calling it quits. Northampton Massachusetts Mayor Mary Clare Higgins announced Friday that she will not run this year for a seventh term.. WAMC's Pioneer Valley Bureau Chief Paul Tuthill reports
Known as a progressive on social issues, but a fiscal conservative, Higgins said Friday she was proud of her record as Northampton's mayor.. Among her accomplishments, she said was increasing the affordable housing stock, preserving open space, promoting sustainability and energy conservation, and keeping the city running efficiently during tough fiscal times..
At a news conference, Higgins said being mayor of Northampton was the greatest job she would every have
Higgins, who is 56, said she is not planning to retire, but has no plans for what she will do after she leaves the mayors' office in January 2012
Higgins began her political career almost 20 years ago, when she was elected to the Northampton City Council. As mayor she became actively involved in statewide issues dealing with municipal finance, and the impact of state policies on local governments. She was the first woman to serve as president of the Massachusetts Mayors Association, and is also a past president of the Massachusetts Municipal Association..the lead lobbyist for the state's cities and towns at the Statehouse.. She also co-chaired a regional task force that developed a strategy for ending homelesslness.
Higgins decision not to run for another term caught many in Northampton by surprise
Northampton City Council President David Narkewicz confirmed he is considering a run for mayor, but said the day was about honoring Higgin's accomplishments
A former Northampton City Council president, Michael Bardsley, has already announced he plans to run for mayor. Higgins defeated Bardsley to win her sixth term in 2009 Higgins faced a challenger each time she ran