Mayoral candidate Michael A. McCabe, HOpe Tremblay from The Westfield News, moderator Ray Hershel, Westfield State University student Michaela Piche and mayoral candidate Donald F. Humason Jr. are on stage during the mayoral debate at the University Oct. 29. (Photo by Peter Currier)
WESTFIELD- One week out from the city elections, mayoral candidates fielded questions on tax incentives, the stamina to do the job, free cash and more during a debate Oct. 29 at Dever Stage at Westfield State University.
Candidates state Sen. Donald F. Humason Jr. and Westfield Police Sr. Capt. Michael A. McCabe faced-off in a debate sponsored by The Westfield News and The Republican ahead of the Nov. 5 election. The moderator for the debate was former Western Mass News broadcaster Ray Hershel and the questions were asked by The Westfield News’ Assistant Managing Editor Hope E. Tremblay and WSU senior Michaela Piche. A crowd of 400 people attended the debate, which was also livestreamed.
Each candidate was given three minutes for an opening statement and a closing statement following the 10 questions.
McCabe was asked if he supported the use of tax credits and other incentives to bring new businesses to Westfield, or if there are other methods of doing so.
McCabe said that he supports the use of tax credits so long as they have shorter returns. He noted that having proper management, decent schools, and good utilities are also important factors in bringing in businesses. He said that some systems like the city utilities are phenomenal, but that schools in Westfield could be made more efficient in cost.
“When we have the state mandates that come through and they don’t have the budgets to go along with them, it means the city taxpayer has to pick up the dollars and cents to provide for the schools mandates,” said McCabe.
State Sen. Donald F. Humason Jr. answers a question during the debate. (Photo by Peter Currier)
In Humason’s rebuttal, he said that he wants to use every tool he can to bring in new businesses, but that taxes in the city are going up too much, too often.
“Taxes are somewhat of a burden. So I think if you can do anything and everything to expand our tax base by either brewing business or bringing new business in, we should,” said Humason.
Humason was then asked about his satisfaction with the city response to the problems with the water supply, and what he may have done differently.
He said that he was satisfied with the response by the City Council and the Mayor’s Office. He said he would look closely at the water and the effectiveness of the Granular Activated Carbon filters and make the next step from there. He made a point to note that he is a member of the PFAS Caucus in the state legislature. PFAS are per- and polyfluroalkyl chemical substances that have been found in some city wells.
McCabe responded by saying that he agreed that the city response to create the GAC filters was appropriate, but that he would approach it differently than Humason going forward.
“I really don’t want to be beholden to the City of Holyoke or the Town of Southampton or the City of Springfield to be purchasing our water from them,” said McCabe., suggesting instead the Cabot Rd. Aquifer.
Mayoral candidate Capt. Michael A. McCabe listens to a response by his opponent, state Sen. Donald F. Humason Jr. during a debate Oct. 29. (Photo by Peter Currier)
McCabe was asked about how his time as a leader in the police department would prepare him for leading a city government with a weak mayor, strong council charter.
He said that any good organization has structure, but it depends on how said structure is used. He said that he has been working with the structures of the city government for years already in his capacity as captain.
Humason said that he comes from a background where he is forced to collaborate with those behind him due to him being a Republican from a state with a legislature with a large Democratic majority.
“My goal is to be as collaborative and engaging to work with people of good will in order to solve problems,” said Humason.
Humason was asked about the use of free cash and in what situations it should be used.
He said, referencing the use of free cash to build pickleball courts in the city, that pickleball may be important to some residents, but that it is not a priority in the city. He said better prioritization is needed with free cash to make improvements to the city.
McCabe responded by saying that pickleball may be important as it benefits the aging population as it gives them “an out” to get out of their house.
McCabe was then asked about his motivations for running for mayor, due to it coming so soon after he was passed up for the position of chief of police.
“It wasn’t as a result of being dissatisfied with not being police chief, but it had everything to do with not getting the police chief spot,” said McCabe.
He said that he had been talking about running for office for a decade, but only chose to do so now because there is no incumbent running in the race, increasing his odds of winning. He noted that he is not in a political family nor does he have a political background, but that his executive leadership experience as a captain makes him qualified for the job.
Humason spoke about his own public service, talking about his first political job as an aide to former state Sen. Michael Knapik and how that gave him a chance to learn how to really serve the people.
Humason’s next question was about whether he was running for mayor to get away from the physical and time demands of being a Senator, and if he has the stamina for the still highly demanding job of being mayor.
He, like McCabe, said he saw the lack of incumbent candidate and made the choice to run, saying he received calls from residents asking him to run.
“The more I got the calls the more I came to think about the opportunities before me here to be able to get directly involved in my community,” said Humason.
He said that representing 11 communities as senator pulled him away from his hometown of Westfield more than he would like.
McCabe spoke more about his own public service, saying that running for executive leadership positions is a natural progression of his trajectory thus far in life. He noted that an executive position like captain would give better experience for the mayor’s job than a legislative position such as senator.
McCabe then responded to a question about the city’s relationship with WSU and how he could make that relationship grow further as mayor.
He praised the relationship between WSU and the city, although he often hears complaints about off-campus students causing trouble in the city. He said he was in favor of a policy that would allow students who live off campus to be handed academic probation should they get in trouble in the city off campus.
“Now that sounds harsh, but the reality is that if we continue to do the same thing over and over again without real relief in those local areas, it’s a problem,” said McCabe, who then noted that WSU is his alma mater.
Humason, who also graduated from WSU, noted that he also has a close relationship with the school. He praised the school’s past help in the community, including the opening of the dining hall to local residents who were impacted by the infamous October snowstorm in 2011.
“Westfield state is an asset of our community, and that should not be forgotten,” said Humason.
The next questions were chosen from members of the audience, who wrote them down prior to the start of the debate.
Humason was asked by the audience about the importance of education to his agenda, the fact that teachers are currently working without a contract, and why Westfield is the only area city to not have a new high school.
He praised the city’s vote to expand Franklin Avenue School. He said that a new school would be ideal over renovating the high school as long as the new school properly serves the students, teachers, and community.
In McCabe’s rebuttal, he addressed the teacher contract situation, saying that the city and the teachers union wanted to wait on signinga new contract, and that he would like to work with the situation. He then noted that, in Westfield High School, the lockers in the hallways are the same ones that were there when he was a student in 1976, thus the school may be in need of an upgrade of some sort.
The next audience question to McCabe asked how he would prioritize city construction projects as mayor.
He said he wants better communications between the departments responsible for drain services, water services, and the roads themselves before the project is underway.
“I would hope that I would work with the water department, the DPW, and the city engineers to come up with a master plan on how to fix the roads going forward,” said McCabe.
In Humason’s response, he said that old infrastructure and the varying climate make some construction projects difficult. He said he would like to see the roads of residential neighborhoods be prioritized alongside the longer arteries through the city like Western Avenue.
For the final question, Humason was asked about what he thinks is missing from the central business district in the city, mainly referencing the Elm Street Urban Renewal Project.
Humason said that he does not like that there is a large unused space in the heart of downtown, but said that the city has a great opportunity with it.
“We now have an opportunity. Very few cities get to remake their downtown corner. They just don’t typically have that kind of property to work with,” said Humason.
He said he would like to see more smaller shops like restaurants and boutiques to bring business and people downtown.
McCabe then said that he wants similar businesses as what Humason said to come to the city’s downtown. He noted that he would like to see the Elm Street project take the form of a multi-use building of retail and residential.
