Dear Citizens of Westfield,
I hope that all of you have been enjoying the summer. This will be my final update to you prior to the political “window” of August 12 – November 7, during which the Westfield News suspends these updates from all Councilors for the campaign season. I look forward to seeing many of you over the coming months during my re-election campaign.
Much has happened on the Council since my last update to you in January. Given the amount of time I have devoted to analyzing the City’s budget over the past several months, and the ongoing debate and comments about it as it is the primary concern of most residents, the budget is where I will focus this update.
As we enter another campaign season, we have already heard from some current members of the Council, some just recently in their updates in the Westfield News, championing themselves as having voted “no” on the amended FY18 budget, and we are beginning to hear from some of the new candidates indicating they would have done the same. The taxpayers and voters of Westfield deserve to know and understand exactly what this means – which is that if the “nos” had prevailed in that meeting of Council when we voted on the amended budget, the amended budget (with its cuts) would have failed to pass, and the Mayor’s original budget would have taken effect. In other words, a “no” vote on the amended FY18 budget was a “no” vote on cuts to that budget.
In my service to you on the Council’s Finance Committee for the past two years, it has been my job, along with Councilor Bob Paul (Chair) and Councilor Dave Flaherty, to review the City’s finances. Just as we did last year, we again spent many hours over a period of weeks this spring meeting with department heads to identify opportunities for cost savings/efficiencies as well as areas for reductions with minimal impact on services. Many of these meetings were attended by other Councilors, who had every opportunity to ask questions (which several did) during these meetings, and inquire about the impact that cuts to those areas would have on services for residents. These meetings culminated in our presenting cuts for consideration – collectively in the range of several hundred thousand dollars to reduce the Mayor’s budget – to reduce, if not eliminate, the possibility of a tax increase next year.
As many of you know by now, the cuts to the FY18 budget that resulted from the Council’s final meeting of FY17 amounted to about $443,463. At that meeting, we were not voting on the Mayor’s budget; we were voting on an amended budget with cuts proposed (and approved by) the Council – in response to the budget the Mayor submitted to us. It was a close vote – 7 to 5, in fact, ultimately in favor of passing the amended budget(with cuts). The Finance Committee proposed additional cuts, some of which I supported, but which failed to garner enough votes. I actually proposed further cuts as well – including $150,000 to advance the Western Avenue enhancement project – which did not have enough support and failed. I use this project as an example because I drive Western Avenue daily, and while I agree it needs improved storm water drainage, along with complete road and sidewalk replacement, I do not believe that most residents of the area want their tax dollars to coverall of the additional “improvements” that come with this project. I believe the City could endeavor – through our own Department of Public Works, which has proven its abilities to do major road work – to provide the storm water, road and sidewalk work that is needed, without all the bells and whistles of the proposed project, at a fraction of the cost to the City. However, I understand that this project is going forward, regardless. My point is that – as we have heard from residents directly in recent weeks, and like the way that many of us manage our own personal budgets – we need to be willing to prioritize by foregoing the things that would be nice for the things that we really need. As I operate this may in managing my own budget, I have tried to adhere to this approach in representing you, your interests, and your priorities.
In our final meeting of FY17 during which we voted on the amended budget, we first heard some other proposals for reducing the City’s FY18 budget. The suggestion to eliminate $250,000 from the Engineering budget for the Columbia Greenway, and the motion that followed for the use of an equal amount of dedicated recreational-use Community Preservation Act (CPA) monies, was a thoughtful and creative solution that garnered near-unanimous support for its approach. On the other hand, another motion to cut 2.5% from every line item in the City’s FY18 budget was made and promptly withdrawn following my pointing out how this would impact planned road and sewer work desired by residents – and how cuts to Medicare payments would result in substantial legal costs to the City. Other than another attempt at cuts by reducing the entire 200+-page budget line by line, which was withdrawn after several failed attempts at passage, it was clear after no additional substantial cuts were proposed that the $443,463 in cuts would stand. My point here is that among most of the Councilors who voted “no” on the amended budget – – again, voting ‘no’ to budgets cuts – – no feasible, impactful alternative cuts were proposed – yet these same Councilors will talk about how we have to reduce our spending. Moreover, they were either unaware of the outcome their collective vote could have had if they prevailed, or were prepared to enter FY18 with no cuts whatsoever to the budget. The citizens of Westfield deserve to know this, particularly as we head into the November election.
Over the past year, we have also heard from some of the same Councilors who voted “no” on the amended budget talk about how dire the financial situation is for the City, and how we have to buckle down and focus on the basics, andthen watched as they voted in support of projects including bonding for ballfield improvements. I believe our young athletes deserve the best facilities we can provide them, and I want the best for them(including my own kids) like many of you. However, I also have to weigh this against the long-term impact this will have on the City’s budget going forward, particularly in light of the sentiments so passionately shared with us by members of the public regarding the impact of growing taxes on their household budgets. Once the sale of this bond occurs, the City will be on the hook for $180,000 in annual bond payments for ten years. I voted against the bonding for the Bullens Field improvements because as much as I wanted to support it, I could not do so in good conscience while other more pressing needs confront us. Again, for me, it was a sense of priorities driving my decision making.
As I stated in the Council’s last meeting of FY17 when debating the proposed cuts, you can’t have it both ways (as a Councilor) by stating that cuts have to be made, but then either not offer any meaningful cuts, or support non-essential projects. Furthermore, to then turn around and convey to the public that you voted ‘no’ on a budget, when in fact what you voted against was cuts to that budget, which could have actually resulted in an increased tax burden for the citizens of Westfield next year – was an unwarranted risk taken at the potential expense of taxpayers. I voted “yes” on the amended FY18 budget for the City in order to ensure some cuts were in place in order to reduce the tax increase facing us all next year. I would have liked to see more cuts made (closer, at least, to the nearly $800,000 in cuts I proposed a year ago), but there simply was not enough support from the Council to do so.There may be an opportunity to offset some of our forthcoming tax increase with a vote by the Council to utilize using stabilization funds, or free cash once certified by the state later this year (akin to what the Council did last year). However, it is anyone’s guess where the free cash figure will be at, and whether or not there would be enough votes on the Council to support using stabilization funds or free cash for this purpose. Although I voted in support of the allocation of free cash to offset the tax increase last year, I do recognize that that is no way to manage a budget over the long term. We need to cut the spending on the front end of a budget, as I was trying to do back in June.
As you are speaking with candidates for the Council over the coming weeks, ask them (if incumbents) how they voted on the amended budget, what amounts of cuts they proposed, and to which departments they proposed cuts be made. If they voted no, ask them why – and ask them how they could justify not supporting cuts to the budget while saying that spending must be controlled, and instead, allow the budget as proposed to take effect. If you are speaking to any of the new candidates for Council, ask them what amounts of cuts they would have made, from which departments, and how (if they were on the Council) they would have voted on the amended budget. In the meantime, I will continue to serve in a manner reflective of your interests – by balancing desired (and expected) services with controlled spending – and will campaign on this balanced approach, as well.
I wish you and your families an enjoyable remainder of the summer, all the best to the students transitioning into a new year in the Westfield Schools, and the best of luck to our City’s high school graduates as they enter the next phase of their lives – whether in higher education, the military, or their chosen profession…and Go Bombers!
Matt VanHeynigen
City Councilor At-Large
