I am Jillian Duclos and I am running for Mayor with a deep sense of commitment and hope for Northampton.

I was born and raised in Holyoke, but began what would be my career here in Northampton at Sylvester's Restaurant to help pay my way through community college and then a Francis Perkins Scholar at Mount Holyoke College. Since then, I have been a dedicated leader deeply committed to Northampton through my entrepreneurial ventures and extensive community service. As a mother of a four-year-old, I intimately understand the daily challenges of our city's families.

My diverse professional roles, including serving as Executive Director of the Downtown Northampton Association and as Vice President of Operations for Sylvester's and Roberto's Restaurants, showcases my consistent ability to lead robust and adaptive teams that meet challenges and critical demands.

I co-created The Sphere [Northampton], securing a $200,000 grant for female and nonbinary entrepreneurs. I was named Holyoke Democrat of the Year for my political leadership and voter participation efforts, my advocacy with the New Jersey Reentry Corporation, establishing and operating workforce development programs for folks returning from prison, and experience with Senator Elizabeth Warren, both in Springfield and Washington D.C., further highlight my thoughtful approach and commitment to solving complex societal issues.

My vision for Northampton focuses on bringing strategic financial management, proactive community engagement, and collaborative governance to our city. Northampton is at a critical juncture, and the decisions we make now will shape our community for years to come.

My platform prioritizes:

Strengthening Public Education: I am committed to strategically investing in Northampton Public Schools (NPS). This includes advocating for resources, sustaining Fiscal Year 2026 budget investments, leveraging technology, and engaging the community. I will pursue initiatives to free up general operating funds for NPS, such as shifting capital expenses to free cash and maximizing the reprogramming of unspent mid-year appropriations to cover non-personnel costs, thus freeing funds for critical personnel.

Fiscally Responsible Governance: Strategic financial management prioritizes the operational budget over capital improvements to ensure essential daily services and personnel are fully funded. While capital projects are crucial for future growth, a stable operational foundation is paramount. This approach clarifies available funds for capital projects, preventing overextension and ensuring fiscal responsibility, thus maintaining the city's financial health and enabling sustainable development.

Community Well-being and Safety: I will prioritize financial transparency and accountability to ensure the safety and well-being of students, educators, and all residents. This involves transparent, accountable, and inclusive financial decisions, ensuring taxpayer money is wisely used for the greatest benefit. It also includes proactive community engagement and collaborative governance to address city needs, ensuring all voices are heard in Northampton's governance.

I am particularly passionate about empowering residents through initiatives like "participatory budgeting," where you would have a direct say in how a portion of our public budget is spent. I am also committed to making Northampton an affordable place to live at every stage of life, through expanding affordable housing options, supporting living wages, and reducing the cost of essential services.

My vision for Northampton is a city where every voice is heard, every resident feels safe and supported, and every child has access to a high-quality education. My commitment to strategic financial management, proactive community engagement, and collaborative governance, along with transparency, accountability, and inclusive decision-making, qualifies me to effectively lead the city and deliver positive outcomes for all residents.

Northampton needs a mayor to unite residents, uphold values, and solve challenges.

I respectfully ask for your vote on Tuesday, November 4.

Strengthening Foundations First

Our City needs to rise to meet this moment, where investments in our core public services are vital to keeping us safe and resilient. Sidewalks are for humans of all ages and abilities; flourishing small businesses keep resources local; schools that don’t have to fight for the bare-minimum create a web of support for families in need and our community as a whole.

As a single mom, I know how to prioritize–my time, my money, my relationships. I know that by investing in our foundations first and planning strategically for the rest - we can meet the diverse needs and wants of this community.

Transparency and Accountability Matter

Trust is not only the bedrock of our social contract, but the key to developing strong partnerships. For too many in Northampton, trust in City leaders has been waning. As Mayor, I will be committed to accountability and transparency to restore trust with taxpayers, public employees, and local businesses - because I know that we are only as strong as the relationships we build with one another both at home and beyond.

During my time as the leader of the Downtown Northampton Association, I learned how critical transparency is to preserving trust with the community one serves and how successful we can be at solving problems in real time when leaders empower those doing the work to come to the table. I want to be thoughtful about how we communicate to the community, making sure they feel their experience and expertise is welcome in the conversation.

Meaningful Investments in Public Education

The Mayor has a pivotal role in ensuring Northampton’s two school districts are meeting the needs of our young people and the future needs of our community. Budgets are moral documents that must combine logical predictions and real life consequences, while negotiating through competing priorities–balancing both social and fiscal responsibility.

This is why I want to bring my collaborative leadership style to this core challenge, helping our community figure out how, not if, we can bring together the resources and ideas needed to make Northampton schools thrive.

I am the product of public schools. I am who I am today because of teachers who invested their time, energy and love into me - providing the strong foundation I needed to overcome family challenges that would have turned me into just another statistic. This issue hits home for me.

Supporting Small Businesses to Thrive

Small businesses have shaped the identity of this community, from live music and local art to eclectic food and clothing. They are resilient and innovative, but need the City to be a true partner with them. This means that if we move forward with the Picture Main Street Project, we absolutely must do it in a way that ensures our small business community will be here when we’re done.

When I talk to business owners, many of whom took out loans to keep their businesses alive through the pandemic, I hear a lot of apprehension about their ability to survive any more bumps in the road.