JUAN NAVARETTE
The Westfield News is printing candidate profiles daily until Election Day, Nov. 5. The Westfield News encourages all citizens to vote. Polls are open 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. If you don’t know where to vote, visit cityofwestfield.org or contact the City Clerk’s Office at 413-572-6235.
Ward 2 City Council Candidate
Name: Juan Navarrete
Address: 141 Miller St.
Occupation: Sr. Airworthiness Inspector (2000 – present)
What experience and qualifications do you have that would be an asset to the city?
As a Senior Airworthiness Inspector, in a team environment, I oversee the completion of maintenance on corporate jets. There are two main aspects to my job, 1) Assure that the task is completed per the manufacturer’s instructions, and 2) verify that the tasks are documented as required by the Federal Aviation Administration. I also have a Bachelor’s degree in Aviation, from Vaughn University College of Aeronautics, in Flushing, NY. My education, and experience in Aviation, can be a viable asset to the city, with working on issues, regards to Barnes Airfield.
Have you recently met with city department heads to discuss their needs/concerns/budgets and if so, which ones?
At this time, I have not met with any of the cities department heads personally, but I look forward to hearing about their needs, and finding an amicable solution. I know that I have stated that I would task them with helping the city in trying to reduce the budget. I honestly feel that this is the best approach, the trick is getting everyone to work as a team. Another part of my current responsibilities, is to be mindful of the budget, attached to the projects that I am assigned, by assuring that both time and money are not wasted. With this type of mindset, I would like to assist in reviewing projects that are brought to the city council for approval and try to identify areas of concern before a project starts.
What is your main concern for your ward?
My concerns for Ward 2, is the ever-increasing taxes, and the infrastructure. With Ward 2 covering both business, and residential, I want to be business friendly, and sensitive to the residents’ needs (A tall order, I know). The city needs to attract more businesses/residents, as well as try to retain the ones we still have. The residents of this city get taxed on many fronts for our infrastructure to be as bad as it is. Going forward I would like to see a better allocation of funds for our roads.
Why should residents vote for you?
This is my first time running for an elected position. I would like to let the residents know, that I plan on making decisions that are well researched, and that I work well in a team environment. I am aware that this is not an easy job to do, and I will not take this position for granted. During this process, I have received so much support and encouragement, and would like to say thank you, to my wife Jennifer, and the people of Westfield.
What prompted you to run for election?
I’ve lived in Westfield, since 2007, I have seen good things accomplished by the city. But in past elections, I’ve seen elected officials run unopposed. This concerns me, because “We the people”, do not have a choice on election day for those seats. I believe that this creates dis-interest in the election process, which leads to low voter turnout. As a registered voter, we need to remember that our civic duty does not start/end on election day. We need to always be aware of what our local officials and government are voting on. This is what the democracy is all about.
