WESTFIELD – Brian P. Sullivan has identified five issues which will be the focus of his campaign and which also reflect citizen concerns raised during his nine-term tenure as an At-large member of the City Council and during his present bid to win the mayoral election.
Sullivan, in a campaign release to the Westfield News, said that the goal of his administration will be to seek “responsible government for a better Westfield” and has identified five issues which will be the basis of his campaign to win in the Nov. 3, 2015 election.
Sullivan identifies five “issue themes” on which his will base his campaign including: quality education; fiscally sound and vibrant community; public health and safety; technology; innovation and culture; and responsible government.
“Over the course of my campaign for mayor, I have met with and actively listened to the people of Westfield regarding their concerns, hopes and aspirations for our city,” Sullivan said. “In large measure, the platform I am announcing reflects the primary issues I have heard from a diverse group of citizens and constituencies across the city.
“Under the right leadership, the role of local government can be a powerful force of good that effectively assists our citizens with their everyday needs, with a clear vision and a solid agenda for providing responsible government,” Sullivan said. “I believe that I am the right leader with the right experience at the right time for Westfield.
Sullivan said that during his 18-year tenure as a City Council member, 10 of those as City Council president, he has had the opportunity to build a wide range of relationship within government, and both the residential and the business community which can be harnessed to benefit the community if elected in November.
“I’d like to utilize my years of experience, many in leadership roles, to encourage greater collaboration within our community,” Sullivan said. “An example is that as mayor I’d work to establish a business summit utilizing the experience of business chief executive officers, chief financial officer and community leaders to foster future growth and to determine where we, as a community, should be going in terms of commercial and industrial growth citywide to stabilize our economy and increase revenue for the city.”
Sullivan said that part of that collaboration will be within city departments, in particular the Westfield Gas & Electric Department which is currently rolling out a new high-speed technology.
“Community-driven, cost-effective technology, which the WG&E is now testing in the Springfield and East Mountain roads area of town will help both residents and the business community when they expand their program that will provide a much greater bandwidth and a competitive price,” Sullivan said.
“The WG&E is expanding that system in a cost-effective logistical plan similar to their natural gas service expansion plan currently in use and when expansion makes financial sense.”
Sullivan said that his education platform focuses on maintaining the current high quality of education provided through Westfield Schools.
“I’d like to maintain the strong teacher-to-student ration we now have, we’re in the low twenties at both the elementary and secondary levels,” Sullivan said. “I also want to ensure that out school accreditation and high standards are maintained, including a major infusion of funding for the science programs at both Westfield High School and the Westfield Technical Academy.
“I also think at a new elementary school should be located to accommodate pedestrian students and to give those students a state-of-the-art infrastructure and technology to promote better learning opportunities,” Sullivan said.
