This is a busy time of year. Lots of baseball games, the big Run Westfield event on Saturday, the Great New England Airshow, and lots of other school, sports, religious, scouting, and family events. I’m out of town this weekend watching a lot of baseball, moving my son out of the college dorm, and maybe even catching the talented Westfield High School band playing in a competition in the Cleveland area :}. I’ll be back in a couple of days.
It’s budget time for the city. The city council has not received the mayor’s proposed budget for next fiscal year yet. I’m assuming that we’ll see it next week so that we have about a month to review it before it gets voted on at the end of June. I hope it’s also posted on the city website immediately so that taxpayers can review the details and participate in the public meetings before the city council votes.
Last year the city council voted to reduce your property tax increase by about $1.25 million. However, we did that using some of the one-time bond premium the city received when refinancing about $50 million worth of debt.
We don’t have that option this year. I’m assuming the mayor’s budget will seek to max-out the property tax increase in order to fund the city’s growing operating costs. And even with that maximum tax increase, we’ll still be asked later in the year to use up some of the rainy-day funds to pay for regular operating expenses (this year we’ve spent in excess of $3 million more than what was approved at budget time). It seems to be a common tactic over the last few years. Even with this maximum property tax increase, the city will still be deferring about $20 million of retiree benefit obligations onto future generations of taxpayers. We can’t continue this. If we don’t reach the breaking point this year, it will be soon. As they say on “Game of Thrones”: “Winter is Coming”.
The new school is still in limbo. The mayor is attempting to do a land swap using land at the end of Ponders Hollow Road near the river in order to make up for the destruction of Cross Street Playground. The city claims to be putting a wonderful recreational facility there (rough plans show baseball and multi-use fields). However, in reality, the “recreational facility” will likely be a small clearing or trail, with a picnic table or two, and maybe a horseshoe pit or bocce court. Baseball fields are extremely unlikely. No design plan has been approved. No budget has been created, presented, or accepted. Nobody that I’ve talked with thinks this location makes any sense for a recreation facility. It’s in an Industrial Zone, has a flood control levy running diagonally through it, is away from homes, and is adjacent to a very vigorously flowing river.
The “recreation” area is on the flood side of the levy. Moving the levy will cost a ton of money and it would be a big project that would involve the Army Core of Engineers – certainly not something that can be done on short-notice, nor without major investments. This land swap plan is a last ditch desperate measure to try to get the big new school built on Cross Street. The Cross Street neighbors group has been very active, and they’ve managed to point out many problems with this new school project. They have kept it tied up in the court system, and it looks like it will be tied up for many more months. This Ponders Hollow proposal is an attempt to end-run the legal system.
There are many good reasons for a new school, and there are a lot of people who would love a new school in Westfield, but I haven’t met many that think Cross Street is an appropriate location for a 600 student Elementary School. Please contact your city councilors and let them know what you think about the Ponders Hollow “recreation” facility and the new school location.
We need your help.
The budget, taxes, and the new school are big issues. There are many more: a major project at the jug-handle near the turnpike, the new bus station (intermodal transportation center), downtown development (or lack thereof), road conditions and street acceptances, the bike trail, riverfront development, and more. I hear many complaints from residents about some of these things, but hardly anyone shows up at the public meetings. I understand that everyone has very busy schedules, and not everyone is comfortable speaking in public, but we need to hear from more concerned citizens at these meetings.
After a project, special permit, or budget is approved IT’S TOO LATE. My challenge to you is sometime in the next month, please review the city budget or research an issue affecting life in Westfield, and then reach out to your Ward Councilor AND a Councilor-at-Large or Planning Board member and let them know how you feel about the issues. A phone call, letter, or email are all fine ways to get in touch. Give them some suggestions if you can. All of the contact information is on the city website at www.CityofWestfield.org.
I hope everyone has a wonderful weekend. Congratulations to all of the graduates and their proud parents!
Dave Flaherty
Westfield City Councilor
Disclaimer: The views expressed in this column are those of the author and not the staff, editor, or publisher of this publication.
