I’m calling in regards to the Westfield BID, short for Business Improvement District. I’m forced as a property owner on Elm Street to pay fees to the BID of $1,500 a year and do not receive any of the benefits that the south side of town receives. The BID in the city council meeting was taking credit for our beautiful downtown, when in fact they had nothing to do with it. Our previous and sitting mayors, city councilors and state reps and senators, as well as the taxpayers of the city of Westfield had everything to do with it, our downtown and what it is now. The BID has taken credit for the flowers and building improvements such as block and CDGB grants when in fact they are available whether or not there is a BID. They claim to be cleaning up the sidewalks, streets and graffiti in the district – really? My sidewalks I clean, as well as the city’s section. My curb is still loaded with debris and as far as graffiti, just take a walk downtown. Remember the old green bridge? We had flowers on that as well as through downtown and hanging plants. We had sidewalk sales, Taste of Westfield and other downtown events such as these pub crawls and the farmer’s market, which the BID has taken credit for. It is very difficult to do business in downtown Westfield as it is without adding another tax to our property owners. I ask city councilors to abolish the Business Improvement District and the business owners downtown will work together if there are any shortfalls. Thank you.
Who in the city of Westfield has the stupidest idea of building apartments for homeless teenagers? I get in an argument with my daughter and she tells me if I throw her out she’s just going to get an apartment with no problem in this city. Who started this stuff? An astute reader of The Westfield News would know the answer to this question.
What a fantastic proposal by Councilor Flaherty to lease the Russell elementary school. He is a problem-solver.
Sitting down about to make out a check to donate for the fireworks, my eight and 11 year old children said, “instead of donating to the fireworks we would rather instead that you make the donation to the Shriners Hospital for Children, where it will be put to better use, rather than watching our money go up in a loud bang and smoke.” It made me realize I raised my children to care more about others who are less fortunate, rather than putting themselves first, just as servicemen put our country first, rather than themselves first. It is the American way. Thank you.
