Thank you! I am honored to have received the Town’s support for another 2-year term, again receiving votes from more than 50% of those who voted yesterday. It was a tough campaign, with five well-qualified, passionate candidates. I put my vision of what Amherst can be in the public sphere and you decided it’s a … Continue reading “Thank you!”

I can’t believe the last weekend of my re-election campaign has finished. I’ve enjoyed my time on the campaign trail, meeting residents, and talking about their concerns and what they are happy about. What I’ve found is that our neighborhoods are diverse, but the issues are very similar. Neighbors in all five districts are concerned … Continue reading “Approaching Election Day”

I had the honor and privilege of attending the League of Women Voters Candidate forum in October. The full video can be found here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iOg5q68F5TA. At-Large candidates were asked seven questions. Below are my responses to each. Question 1 asked how we would address the issues of Latinx residents, as well as what we believed … Continue reading “League of Women Voters Candidate Forum”

I want to thank Evan Ross, Andy Churchill, Peter Demling, Sarah Forsaith of the Amherst Firefighters Local Union 1764, and Cinda Jones for writing public letters of endorsement for my re-election. Andy Churchill support me because I can “balance the head and the heart in [my] decision-making” though thoughtful, balanced leadership. Evan Ross states that … Continue reading “Evan Ross, Andy Churchill, and more publicly support Mandi’s re-election”

I was pleasantly surprised to read in the October 22nd Sunday Republican the editorial supporting the zoning proposal that she and Councilor De Angelis withdrew earlier this year. If re-elected, I hope to re-introduce a parts of this proposal. Read the editorial at the link below. https://www.masslive.com/opinion/2023/10/massachusetts-neighborhoods-need-to-embrace-housing-options-editorial.html

The Amherst Indy sent a set of questions to Town Council candidates and will be publishing the responses on their blog. Here are my responses: Personal Statement: (up to 500 words, describing candidacy and explaining why they are running for office, and outlining their priorities should they be elected)  I believe community service is important. … Continue reading “Mandi responds to Amherst Indy Blog”

I am a big believer in collaboration, even with Councilors that I don’t often agree with. So, I am proud to have teamed up with fellow colleagues Dorothy Pam and Pam Rooney in support of Medicare for All. 88% of Amherst voters gave their support to creating single-payer health care in 2018. For the potential … Continue reading “Mandi teams up with Dorothy Pam and Pam Rooney on Medicare for All”

Thank you to Amherst Media for continuing the tradition of producing videos for each candidate for local office. I appreciate the opportunity to talk about my accomplishments and vision for Amherst.

The Amherst Climate Justice Coalition surveyed Council candidates on a variety of climate and sustainability issues. Below are my responses. For the questions, candidates had four response options: Prioritize, Support, Don’t Support, No Answer. General Background: Prioritization, Budget, Staffing for Climate Action Candidate comments: Overarching climate actions Meeting the Council’s Climate Action Goals is a … Continue reading “Amherst Climate Justice Coalition surveys candidates”

The League of Women Voters of Amherst is again producing an election guide to help voters. Here are my answers to this year’s questions: As a Town Council member, what needs of the town do you hope to address? If re-elected, I will focus on moving the DPW and Fire Station projects forward, addressing our … Continue reading “League of Women Voters Election Guide”

Mandi responded to the wide-ranging questionnaire from the Progressive Coalition of Amherst, as they consider making candidate endorsements for the Town Council. Below are her answers. Have you accepted/will you accept endorsements from other groups? If so, please list the groups: Yes. I have a policy of responding to all endorsement surveys, which, as of … Continue reading “Mandi responds to the Progressive Coalition of Amherst questionnaire”

In an effort to provide a place for residents to find information about all candidates, Amherst’s charter requires the Town to publish candidate statements on its webpage. Below is the statement Mandi submitted: In my second term, I supported the Elementary School building project, major revisions to the rental permitting laws for safer rental housing, … Continue reading “Mandi submits her statement for the Town webpage”

In an announcement made today, Amherst Forward endorsed a number of candidates for Town Council and School Committee, and Mandi is excited to announce that she was one of them. Below is a part of their announcement: We’ve reviewed candidates’ answers to the questions we think are most important today. We’ve poured through their public … Continue reading “Amherst Forward endorses Mandi”

As we begin another school year tomorrow, I send a heartfelt thank you to Ben Herrington, Allison MacDonald, and Peter Demling for their years of dedicated service on the Amherst and Amherst-Pelham Regional School Committees. Over their years of service, they have all demonstrated thoughtful and deliberative decision making, compassion for our students, and grace … Continue reading “A heartfelt thank you”

Sunrise Amherst is a local, youth led organization focusing on intersectional climate, racial, and economic justice, and enacting the Green New Deal. They asked an extensive set of questions. Below are my responses. What makes you an interested and qualified candidate?  I believe community service is important. I am motivated to serve on the Council … Continue reading “Mandi responds to the Sunrise Amherst Endorsement Questionnaire”

The Amherst Firefighters Local 1764 have endorsed Mandi for Town Council: “Councilor Hanneke has been instrumental in assisting us in gaining much needed equipment through ARPA or ensuring funds are being secured for a new fire station. Ms. Hanneke has made the fire department a priority which benefits all residents and visitors of Amherst. We … Continue reading “Amherst Firefighters Local 1764 Endorse Mandi Jo for Town Council”

As with previous years, I will be posting my responses to any candidate questionnaires I receive and respond to. The first one up this campaign season is the Amherst Forward questionnaire. Role. Amherst has a 13-person Town Council that hires and works with a professional Town Manager (and, through the Manager, Town staff). What do … Continue reading “Mandi Responds to the Amherst Forward Candidate Questionnaire”

Yesterday, Councilor De Angelis and I withdrew our zoning proposals that were aimed at creating more opportunities to adding missing middle housing (duplexes, triplexes, town houses, and converted dwellings). I learned a lot from the process and are grateful for the time Town staff, the Planning Board, and the Community Resources Committee spent reviewing it, … Continue reading “Zoning proposal withdrawn with an eye towards the future.”

Amherst needs more housing. We need housing for the students who liven up our town, for families who send their kids to our public schools, for retirees who wish to age in place, and for service workers who want to live near where they work. To address these needs, we need housing in the “missing … Continue reading “The missing middle in Amherst housing”