SPRINGFIELD — Vowing to bring a month-long carnival to the city should he be elected, David F. Ciampi, a counselor and psychotherapist, said he is seeking to become Springfield’s next mayor.
“As mayor, I will ensure a proclamation declaring Springfield the North American Gateway City for Rio de Janeiro’s Carnival,” says a handout describing Ciampi’s campaign platforms.
Ciampi said the annual event he proposes will run from mid-June to mid-July will create job opportunities for costume designers, dance choreographers, musicians, dance groups, float designers, security guards and sanitation workers.
On the Fourth of July weekend, the handout says, the city would put on “an extravagant, annual Carnival parade.”
On Sept. 26, Ciampi filed a statement of organization with the commonwealth to form a committee to seek the mayoral office. He listed his party affiliation as Democratic on the form.
The mayoral candidate is using his experience as a psychotherapist and counselor of economically disadvantaged adults to influence some of the key issues he plans to tackle if elected.
He said the city can reduce reduce drug use and crime by creating “healthy, team-oriented work environments” brought about by partnerships with companies and civic associations.
Ciampi proposes the city transition to renewable energy and divest from fossil fuels, which would lessen the expenses associated with pollution.
Lastly, if elected, Ciampi plans to incorporate “vocational and emotional skills” into the city’s education system to allow students who are in the schools to develop interpersonal skills and strengthen the community’s social fabric.
“Inclusion, not exclusion; respect for the diversity of culture and race; being decent and fair in our personal and public lives are enduring skills and values worth sharing from older to younger generations. I believe that learning these basic skills in childhood is much better than learning them in adulthood,” the handout says.
By the end of December, Ciampi had $158.40 in cash on hand for his campaign, according to the Massachusetts Office and Campaign and Political Finance.
Previously, he organized a campaign committee in 2011 to run against an at-large candidate for city council.
The mayoral candidate will officially announce his candidacy for mayor on Jan. 25, from 6 p.m. to 7:30 p.m., at the Elks Lodge #61.
City Councilor Justin Hurst, who announced he’s running for mayor in late November, will host his campaign kickoff the same night, at 5:30 p.m. at the Cedars Banquet Hall.
Attempts to reach Ciampi for further comments was unsuccessful.
