GREENFIELD – While voters will decide a contest for at-large seats on the City Council next Tuesday, another four candidates are running unopposed to fill four precincts seats on the 13-member council.

The four candidates are incumbent councilors Katherine Golub and John Bottomley, and newcomers Rachel Gordon and Michael Mastrototaro. Gordon and Mastrototaro are seeking to fill seats vacated by City Council President Dan Guin, and Councilor Virginia “Ginny” DeSorgher, who is running for mayor.

The general election is Tuesday, Nov. 7, in the Greenfield High School gymnasium. Polls will be open from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m.

Precinct 1: Katherine Golub

Appointed last summer to fill the vacancy left by former councilor Ed Jarvis, Katherine Golub is eager to continue representing her precinct on the City Council.

“I’m having more fun than I expected I would have,” she said. “I’ve seen concrete differences we’ve been able to make and I’m committed to seeing more of them.”

In particular, she referenced the council’s efforts to restore funding to the Greenfield schools budget after a nearly $1.5 million cut to the proposed budget by the mayor last spring.

“I’m really committed to doing my part to make changes like that and to continue to make changes like that, especially for our children and grandchildren in Greenfield and for the entire community,” Golub, 41, said.

Golub, who works as a coaching facilitator, said she believes it’s her responsibility to advocate for changes needed at the state level with respect to education funding. She said she has knocked on the doors of almost 200 of her Precinct 1 constituents.

“I would say the issues most important to Precinct 1 residents, based on talking to people, are our schools, property taxes, [Greenfield Community Energy and Technology (GCET)] expansions, downtown revitalization and then a lot of different infrastructure concerns,” she said.

As a councilor, Golub said it’s her responsibility “to advocate for the good of the whole.” The position offers her a means to be a voice for others, she said, by communicating to the mayor what their priorities are as a city.

“Although I may not agree with people personally, in my role as a councilor, I would say that my number one value is listening carefully and representing the will of my constituents,” she said.

Precinct 2: Rachel Gordon

Rachel Gordon, 42, serves as special deputy director to the executive director of Movement Voter Project, a nonprofit that supports grassroots groups around the country, specifically around democracy and voter engagement. She has been an active participant in municipal meetings, including City Council meetings, and in 2019 was involved in the Safe City ordinance campaign.

“Even though I’m not running against anyone, I don’t take for granted that I still need to work to get to know people and to earn their support,” she said.

Gordon has a master’s degree in urban and environmental planning and currently serves on the board of directors for the Public Health Institute of Western Massachusetts. She also was a member No Place for Hate, a group that existed up until the COVID-19 pandemic

In talking with other members of her precinct, Gordon said many of the constituents’ concerns are similar to those of the wider community. In particular, she said people have expressed concerns about affordability and whether they would be able to stay in their homes.

People also are concerned about school funding and the lack of access to Greenfield Community Energy and Technology (GCET) in areas of Precinct 2. Speeding and other quality-of-life issues, such as infrastructure improvements, are also key priorities for residents of Precinct 3.

“I love to talk to people and I love to listen to people and find out what their priorities are,” she said. “And that’s what I’m most interested in doing.”

Gordon said she hopes to be able to provide regular updates to her constituents, informing them of actions taken by City Council.

“I love Greenfield and I get excited about local politics,” she said. “I think Greenfield is great and I think we have a lot of strengths and a lot of potential. I have been active in local politics but sort of from the other side ... This was an opportunity to be involved on the other side.”

Precinct 3: Michael Mastrototaro

Longtime Greenfield resident Michael Mastrototaro is looking to represent his community as the Precinct 3 councilor.

Michael Mastrototaro, 67, raised his family in Greenfield after moving here more than 40 years ago. He’s a Navy veteran who has coached baseball in Greenfield and previously served on the Recreation Commission. Before retiring, he managed the Collins-Moylan Skating Arena for many years.

His motivation for running for the seat stemmed from his frustration with the city administration for how it handled concerns about former Board of Assessors Chairman Joe Ruggeri, who failed to obtain necessary permits for properties he owns. In November, he was issued a $300 citation for occupying a building without a certificate of occupancy, proceeding with construction without proper inspections, and beginning work without applying for and receiving a building permit.

“That was … really what sealed the deal for me,” he said.

In addition to ensuring equity in property tax assessments, Mastrototaro said his key concerns include improving the downtown and attracting economic development; making sure schools are adequately funded; and cutting down on what he described as “reckless spending” so the city can afford necessary sidewalk and road repairs, as well as other infrastructure improvements.

“Local politics — a lot of it has to do with potholes and sidewalks,” he said. “People are paying their taxes and not getting their money’s worth.”

Mastrototaro said “the spending needs to stop.”

“We have all these big projects that have happened that require maintenance … and yet, the [Department of Public Works] is the least funded department in the city,” he said. “As the city grows, I would think we’d want to staff the DPW accordingly.”

He said he wouldn’t be opposed to ordinances such as a vacancy tax to help address some of the vacant storefronts in Greenfield.

“I’m hoping to be part of change,” he said.

Precinct 4: John Bottomley

John Bottomley is running for a second term representing Precinct 4.

Although he did not respond to requests for an interview, Bottomley participated in the Greenfield Candidates Night on Oct. 24 at Greenfield Community College.

“A few of the issues that mean a lot to me are responsible fiscal policy, strong schools, good infrastructure and taking care of the environment,” Bottomley said at the forum.

In his tenure on City Council, Bottomley said he has found that many of his constituents “care deeply about this city.”

“There are a lot of issues that I would like to see through to completion, the most notable is the former Lunt property environmental cleanup,” he said. “I will continue to fight for my neighbors to have a safe environment to live and work in.”

Bottomley was referring to the 298 Federal St. property, which the city leases to 401 Liberty St., a limited liability company that in turn has active subleases with Behavioral Health Network and Clinical & Support Options. The city has an agreement that gives the company the option to purchase.

Concern about the status of the site’s environmental cleanup was raised late last year when the property was brought before the City Council to declare it as surplus and authorize the mayor’s sale of it. As a city councilor, Bottomley has spoken out on many occasions regarding the handling of the cleanup by the licensed site professional.

Bottomley currently serves on the Economic Development Committee. He is a musician and teacher.