A college student could challenge Michael D. Bissonnette for mayor.
CHICOPEE – The city’s election season is off to a slow start with eight people having returned nomination papers so far.
Candidates have until July 29 to take out papers and must return them by Aug. 2, said Janina Surdyka, registrar of voters for Chicopee.
Papers are available for 27 seats. They are mayor, city clerk, two assessor positions, four at-large and nine ward City Council seats and one at-large and nine ward School Committee seats, she said.
As of Tuesday, 31 people have taken out nomination papers and eight have retuned them with the signatures needed to appear on the ballot.
“It is somewhat slower than in the past...but we still have a few months to go,” Surdyka said.
Francis C. Lapointe, a past 10-year state representative and current secretary of the City Democratic Committee, said interest in running for office has dropped.
“There is still a lot of time but in terms of recent history, interest has been nominal,” he said. “When I first started, there would be 18 candidates for what was then Alderman at-large.”
For mayor, incumbent Michael D. Bissonnette has returned papers to run for a fourth two-year term. So far he is the only candidate for the top spot to return papers but college student Joel McAuliffe has taken out papers for mayor as well as an at-large school committee seat. He has not returned either.
There are three other potential races so far. Newcomer Trina House has taken out papers to challenge School Committee member Adam D. Lamontagne in Ward 1 and David Schryver is challenging incumbent Sharon M. Nawrocki for Ward 8 School Committee. David Amo will challenge incumbent Timothy McLellan for City Council in Ward 6.
Surdyka said she has certified all eight nomination papers which have been submitted.
Candidates for mayor must collect 250 from registered voters to appear on the ballot. All others need 50 signatures, Surdyka said.
City Council candidates who turned in papers are Amo, Ward 2 incumbent Charles M. Swider and incumbents James K. Tillotson and Robert J. Zygarowski who are running at-large.
For School Committee, Ward 7 representative Donald J. Lamothe, Lamotagne and Schryver returned papers.
City Council incumbents who have taken out nomination papers are: Dino A. Brunetti, Ward 1; John L. Vieau, Ward 3; William M. Zaskey, Ward 4; Frederick T. Krampits, McLellan, Ward 6; George R. Moreau, Ward 7; Donald G. Demers, Ward 8; Ronald R. Belair, Ward 9; Frank N. LaFlamme, at-large and Jean J. Croteau, at-large.
School Committee incumbents who have taken out papers are: David G. Barsalou, Ward 2; Marjorie A. Wojcik, Ward 3; Deborah A. Styckiewicz, Ward 5; Susan A. Lopes, Ward 6; Nawrocki, Ward 8; Mary-Elizabeth Pniak-Costello, Ward 9 and Michael J. Pise, who currently represents Ward 4 but took out papers to run at-large.
Newcomer Sandra A. Peret has also taken out papers to run for School Committee in Ward 4.
In other races, Virginia B. Robak and Stanley J. Iwanicki have taken out papers to run for assessor and Keith W. Rattell has taken out papers for city clerk. All three are incumbents.