Regarding Savings – Better Management for the City of Westfield
Education
School systems spend large sums of money every few years purchasing new textbooks and teaching materials. School employees have told me of slightly used and sometimes unopened materials being thrown out, and replaced with the latest and greatest. I have saved some of the best math and language arts I have used and I am sure many of our teachers have also. We know a good book when we have one.
We could save a lot of money if we purchased textbooks and teaching materials that teachers approved and wanted to use, especially in math and language arts, and eliminate this cycle of throwing away materials, that mainly seems to benefit the publishers of these materials.
Companies like Pearson have taken control of eighty percent of testing and teacher certification market in the United States, with the help of our federal government, and become the Haliburton of Education.
Transportation
During the budget process this year, City Councilor Dave Flaherty and myself met with Ron Rix and Superintendent Suzanne Scallion to discuss options for savings. One area that could provide savings is transportation. With a declining school population and ridership, we could combine the start and release times and bus routes, for the high schools and middle schools. We have to wait until next year when the current five-year contract expires. That sounds like a good reason to take a look at the language and the length of these contracts.
Roads
Westfield received $600,000 in January when Governor Charlie Baker released $100 million on his first day in office. Unfortunately, none of this money went to road repair. It all went to the Bike Trail. The repairs on Papermill and Shaker Roads were paid for with the pothole money Governor Baker gave cities at the end of the winter.
The bike trail could have received $430,000 and we could have used $170,000 to purchase a truck mounted unit that uses infrared technology to heat and repair the roads. It uses only one wheelbarrow of asphalt to repair a 6 x 8 section of road. It turns a patchwork of multiple pothole repairs into a smooth, drivable surface that will last seven to ten years. It eliminates the use of cold patch, which is a complete waste of time and money, and it extends the repair season from March 1 to the end of November.
What happened to “We need to Work Together”?
Last January, Mayor Knapik suggested on his radio show that the council should “offer meaningful cuts.” I thought that was a great idea.
In February, I made a motion that passed the city council 12 to 1 to form an ad hoc committee, or have public participation to come up with ideas to control spending, and then have some members of the council meet and discuss with the mayor. I presented City Council President, Brian Sullivan with a list of possible ideas with the hope that we could work with and support the mayor. Unfortunately, neither Mayor Knapik or Brian Sullivan took any action on this proposal this year involving the public or the council. Now, unless the mayor does something in December after the election, we could be looking at a tax increase, over 2 ½ %.
I am disappointed that this proposal did not receive better coverage in the paper, or the forum or mayoral debate. It is one thing to say something, and it is another to actually mean what you say. Please Vote on November 3rd. Your Voice Matters.
Dan Allie
City Councilor
