CHRISTOPHER KEEFE
How’s that global warming been working out for you this winter?
This is the coldest winter I can recall since 1995, and the snowfall has been about twice the average amount. And it hasn’t been just us: nationally, there have been spot shortages of propane as record-cold temperatures have drained gas heating fuels as residents struggle to keep their homes warm. Locally, I expected a significant spike in my Gas & Electric bill, but the final increase was more moderate than expected, although the bill was still enough for about a month’s worth of groceries. Still, I’m hoping I’ve shoveled my last white blanket of “climate change” for the season, as I’m not sure what will give out first: my snow shovel, or my back….
Despite the cold temperatures, the Governor announced in January a $52 million initiative to deal with the effects of “climate change”, which of course, is the new politically-correct moniker for global warming. Personally, I wish he had announced that the money was being targeted for “season change”, as the effects of cold, snow and melting have hit our roads hard once again. Just for perspective, Westfield’s share of that money would typically amount to somewhere in the neighborhood of about $500,000 – that would be a forty percent increase in the highway budget! Or to put it another way: half a million would resurface a lot of roads in this city. Instead, the Governor wants to spend it on back-up solar generators and studies on which roads might be threatened by rising sea levels. I guess as long as the Pike is smooth on the way from Boston to Richmond, road and bridge conditions here just aren’t a state priority. Once the asphalt plants reopened last year, the Department of Public Works did a remarkable job patching the streets with the permanent patch that actually holds beyond the next storm. I think we’re all counting the days until those plants reopen.
Heavy equipment and supplies are staged at the Pochassic Street Bridge as contractors prepare to resume work on the bridge shortly. The $2.7 million renovation project is scheduled to be completed in June 2014. (Photo by Frederick Gore)
At one point this week, thanks to these persistent potholes, Notre Dame Street was a single-lane road just over the railroad bridge – never a good thing with the Pochassic Street bridge still closed and the heavy traffic flowing to and from the high school. The latest opening date for the “Drug Store Hill” Bridge is officially June 2014. Unofficially, one has to wonder given that seeing the contractor’s employees actually onsite has been a rather novel experience. To say this entire rebuild has been managed badly by the state would be a massive understatement. Over the past six years, the city has undertaken many projects of its own, and while you may as a reader agree or disagree with the nature of the individual projects themselves, it’s hard to dispute that the time from drawing board to execution has been relatively short most of the time, legal disputes and missing gazebos excluded! I’m hoping that same expediency will hold true when it comes to the redesign and rebuild of the Notre Dame-North Elm Street intersection, which is currently in design phase.
Just a reminder: for most of us, Automobile Excise bills which were mailed at the end of February for vehicles registered in Westfield are due on Friday, March 28th. Don’t be late – even one day late can lead to penalties and interest.
The excise tax is a tax authorized by Chapter 60A on automobiles in lieu of a personal property tax. The levying of the tax is through the Assessors’ Office based upon information contained at the Registry of Motor Vehicles. The excise is based upon where the vehicle is primarily garaged (which comes from your insurance forms) and to the last recorded mailing address of the person to whom the vehicle is registered (from the RMV). Any changes in either status should be forwarded to both institutions on a timely basis to avoid misdirected bills, which if unpaid can lead to penalties, interest, and difficulties in re-registering your vehicle or renewing your license.
The excise is based upon a formula to allow for consistency and efficiency. While the formula uses the Manufacturers Suggested Retail Price as a baseline, the ultimate bill is not a bill based upon actual value of your vehicle, but a percentage of that original MSRP. The formula is:
Year Before Manufacture 50%
Year of Manufacture 90%
Two Years Old 60%
Three Years Old 40%
Four Years Old 25%
Five and Older 10%
LáFhéilePádraigSonaDaoibh – Happy Saint Patrick’s Day!
Christopher Keefe
Westfield City Council
Ward One
Disclaimer: The views expressed in this column are those of the author and not the staff, editor, or publisher of this publication.
