I hope everyone had a great Thanksgiving! I was thankful that I could devote time to spend with my family, with plenty of food and football. The holiday season is in full swing, with plenty of events scheduled no matter what tradition you celebrate. Last Saturday was the Candlelight parade and Tree Lighting on the Green, and this weekend there are even more events throughout the city to keep spirits high! Whether it’s shopping for decorations downtown, bringing the kids to a craft fair, or giving to those who need some help in these times, I encourage everyone to head out and participate in the seasonal happenings around Westfield.
This weekend, we also honor those who lost their lives at the invasion of Pearl Harbor. This year marks the 73rd anniversary of the Pearl Harbor attacks. There will be a memorial service tonight as well as tomorrow morning at Kane Park at 10:30 am.
I wrote an article two weeks ago, shortly after Governor Patrick announced that there is a $329 million dollar shortfall in the current fiscal year budget. One of the reasons this shortfall has occurred is because of the automatic drop in the state’s income tax rate from 5.2 percent to 5.15 beginning in January 2015. Unlike the federal government, Massachusetts has a constitutional requirement that the budget be balanced. Given this Constitutional restriction, the next step is deciding what cuts to make in order to balance the budget and comply with the State Constitution.
The Governor immediately began cutting various programs from the current fiscal year budget in order to balance the budget and make up for the shortfall. Legislators across the state are seeing their hard earned budget amendments earmarked for projects get struck from the final version of the budget with the implementation of the 9C cuts. There is a slight chance for these amendments to be restored however, depending on various factors. For instance, if there is a surplus of people that head out to do Christmas shopping, tax revenues may rise enough to make up for some or all of the difference. Of course, there is no way to know whether or not that will happen until after the holiday season.
In lighter news, there are many amazing things happening in western Mass., and more specifically, in Westfield. First and foremost, this city was selected to host the 2016 Babe Ruth 14 year old World Series! This would not have been possible without the hard work this group of volunteers, parents, and coaches put into showcasing Westfield as a candidate. It was also announced this past Friday that the Westfield Vocational Technical High School will receive a grant to develop its aviation program, which will create an incredible partnership with the Vocational School and Barnes Airport, training students in a field where there are thousands of opportunities for jobs and career paths in the future.
I do have an important announcement to make to conclude this week’s update – I will be moving in to my new office on the second floor of 52 Court Street this upcoming week. I am looking forward to having people drop by whenever they have a question or just to say hi!
As always, feel free to contact me at [email protected] or my aide at [email protected]. I hope everyone enjoys the rest of their weekend!
Disclaimer: The views expressed in this column are those of the author and not the staff, editor, or publisher of this publication.
