MICHAEL A. MCCABE
Name: Michael A. McCabe
Address: 8 Hawthorne Ave.
Occupation: Westfield Police Senior Captain, Westfield State University Adjunct Faculty Member
What is your experience managing staff?
The police department has 140 personnel below the rank of senior captain. For the past 23 years, I have been responsible for managing, evaluating performance, and promoting or recommending for promotion nearly all of them.
What is your budget experience?
I have created, issued and defended a police budget of over $8 million for 12 years. Additionally, I have received formal budget preparation training at the FBI Academy in Quantico Virginia.
Have you recently met with city department heads to discuss their needs/concerns/budgets and if so, which ones?
Chief Valliere and Superintendent Czaporowski
What grade would you give Westfield’s schools and why?
C+. First, the school’s physical plants are only in fair condition, which is the result of several converging problems. Second, the lack of state funding for state mandates causes the City to meet these mandates with City funds that are syphoned away from preventative maintenance or other “want” projects. Thirdly, teachers with classes of student with high numbers of IEPs means that, the teachers’, attention has to be inordinately focused on a small percent of the student body in the hopes that the others will be able to make their own way. Finally, the system appears to be in a constant state of instability with high turn-over in administration which erodes both leadership and direction.
How would you move forward with the city’s current water situation and related lawsuits?
I would continue to press/sue the federal government for funds for remediation of the aqueous firefighting foam. Additionally, I would continue to look for alternative sources of water locally. I believe the City chose the right course of action in their handling of wells 1 and 2 and wells 7 and 8. That said, there are still other options to research in the event that the treatment plans prove to be ineffective. The Cabot Rd. aquifer may be a potential source of water, as well as the Springfield water line that parallels Westfield water. I am not eager to pay another city or town for water if it can be avoided.
Do you have a plan for infrastructure/taxes/economic development?
First, we must address three main issues: the creation of a strategic plan that sets out the primary needs of the city. Secondly, we have to stabilize our City personnel. Finally, we need to create a CFO position to handle specifically the budget and labor. Each of these items is interdependent on the other.
What is your top priority for the city and how do you hope to address it?
As stated above, creation of a strategic plan, stabilizing City personnel and hiring a CFO. This is not an easy task. It will require all boards and commissions to submit individual 3 year plans. Then those plans need to be brought together to find out which needs are priorities and then create a master plan from there. Once the master plan is set, then and only then can you begin the process of setting a course to achieve those goals. The budget process should be streamlined. Budgets are not hard to do especially in lean times when there is no excess revenue for new projects. You cannot meaningfully create a positive environment without goal-oriented leadership. I would also like to see the terms of both the mayor and council moved to 4 year cycles to help eliminate waste associated with learning curves, patronage and elections.
Why should residents vote for you?
I have the energy, experience, education and expertise to handle the rigors of the mayor’s office. I have managed personnel and budgets for a long time. I have been continuously on call to the City for more than 30 years. I have a long history of service and volunteerism that is unmatched by any other candidate.
