John J. Beltrandi III
WESTFIELD – John J. Beltrandi III is seeking a third term as an At-large member of the city council, bringing experience as both a resident and business owner.
“Being a businessman I like to think that I bring my experience from the private sector to help the council to look at projects through the eyes of someone who deals with development, real estate and construction on a daily basis,” Beltrandi said. “I believe that the role of an At-large councilor is to be available to all residents and especially the ward councilors to work toward a solution for any matters that can be acted upon and solved by the council and committees.”
“Taxes and fees are the hot buttons with most people I talk with,” he said. “Many are upset with the fees for stormwater, something I have voiced my opinion on and have been working toward a possible solution to restructure the fee in committee along with other councilors.”
Beltrandi said economic development is a citywide issue because of the need to expand the tax base to buffer tax rate increases.
“Continued development of the entire city, not just the downtown, is a priority,” Beltrandi said. “We need to attract businesses that will add to our tax base while not taxing our schools and other services.”
“We face a constant struggle with finances in Westfield, as do most other communities,” he said. “We, as the leaders in the city, need to work with all departments and assure that all funding available to us is secured. As a member of the Finance Committee I plan to be a voice for the people regarding spending and saving. These are critical issues. “
One of those critical issues is the funding for a new senior center on Noble Street.
“Our seniors have waited long enough for a respectable facility,” Beltrandi said. “ Most of them have paid taxes to the city their whole adult lives, and while many surrounding towns have beautiful facilities, we have little to show for a city this size. I voted for the initial funding to get this project moving forward and I intend to follow it through the process. “
Beltrandi said that another major issue is the maintenance of the municipal facilities, schools, city buildings, roads and other infrastructure.
“We must also have a plan to maintain the many beautiful assets that we have,” he said. “We have been fortunate to see unprecedented infrastructure improvements over the past several years. These projects have positioned our city to finally attract people back to Westfield to live, work and open businesses. I am not sure that any other western Mass. town or city was fortunate enough to get all this done in these tough economic times. I want to thank all who have worked to see these projects to completion. We can be proud of their accomplishments.”
“With regard to traffic congestion, it’s one of the most challenging issues facing the city,” Beltrandi said. “Unfortunately, the city’s founding fathers never could have anticipated the volume of traffic we have today when they laid out the roadways. We need to be a little creative to solve the congestion problems. I don’t have the answer, but I look forward to working toward a solution.”
“Economic development and infrastructure improvement go hand in hand,” he said. “Simply, you can’t expand development without putting in place the needed improvements to service it.
“Having been the Chairman of the License Committee for the past three years, I have always moved applications for business licenses quickly through my committee to allow for a smooth process for applicants,” Beltrandi said.
“My thinking has always been that City Hall is the customer service center for Westfield. I like to think that anyone should feel they can come here with a dream or idea and be escorted through the permitting process. This is one of my biggest priorities,” he said.
