WESTFIELD – At-large City Councilor Daniel Allie is seeking re-election to continue his work as a fiscal watchdog in the city.
Allie believes creating jobs and building the economy are top priorities, and welcoming small business is one way to bring in revenue.
“Three out of four new jobs are created by small business,” he said.
Small business is something Allie knows well. After leaving the U.S. Army, Allie moved to Holyoke and started his own ad agency.
He left that company and switched gears a bit.
“I was part of the management team that brought Papa John’s Pizza to Westfield,” he said.
Allie ran the restaurant while taking college courses and recruiting and training employees.
Allie said he understands small business and working within a budget, something he said the city needs to do better. He also believes the city needs to spend its funds more wisely.
Allie said when the governor released funds at the beginning of the year, Westfield had $600,000 for roads, but instead used it for the rail trai,. While Allie said that is an allowed use of the money, it was not the best use.
“Everybody complains about the roads,” he said. “It’s the number two issue after property taxes.”
Allie said potholes are a common complaint, and he said the city spent its budgeted funds to fix potholes elsewhere.
“The pothole money went to Shaker Road and Papermill Road projects,” he said.
Allie said he is a proponent of “meaningful cuts” to the city budget. He also said he is concerned about the new school because he believes in neighborhood schools.
“I actually moved here for the neighborhood schools,” he said.
Last year, Allie fought automatic gasoline tax hikes, and gathered 1,100 signatures to help put the gas tax on the statewide ballot. He is working to restore local aid and increase funding for road maintenance and repair, and put two questions on the local November ballot.
Allie was born in the eastern part of the state and called Holyoke home before moving to Westfield 14 years ago. In Holyoke, his former company built a park. He and his wife Theresa also organized a neighborhood association and raised money for playground equipment at Morgan School and helped renovate Springdale Park.
Allie has three adult children and three grandchildren, all in Westfield. He said campaigning in this city can be tough when you’re not a native.
“People don’t know me as well as some other candidates because I didn’t grow up here,” he said.
That’s one reason Allie supports a change to the political campaign sign policy.
“Two months in the fall is not enough time,” he said.
Allie said elected officials need to take a leadership role, which is what he hopes to continue if re-elected.
