JOHN VELIS
WESTFIELD – With the Massachusetts Legislature’s recent approval of a $36 billion budget for the upcoming fiscal year, the city of Westfield is set to receive state funding sought after by Rep. John Velis for several municipal projects.
Velis, a freshman Democrat in the House of Representatives, secured $165,000 to be dispersed to Noble Hospital, the city’s senior center, and to Westfield on Weekends.
Some on Beacon Hill doubted the money would survive the final state budget.
“This was a multi-month process, with a lot of back and forth and pounding the table on Westfield’s behalf,” said Velis. “It’s particularly more important these days, with local aid essentially being off the table.”
The amendments calling for the funding were filed to the House budget in April prior to Velis’ being sworn in, by Rep. Harold “Hank” Naughton (D-Clinton), who serves in Velis’ Army reserve unit and as Chair of the Joint Committee on Public Safety and Homeland Security.
DONALD HUMASON JR.
Under the amendments included in the House proposal which would gain inclusion in the final state budget, $100,000 will be given to Noble Hospital for the construction of a ramped entrance to improve access for seniors and citizens with disabilities; $50,000 was also included for furnishings for the city’s new senior center; and $15,000 which Velis said will go to Westfield on Weekends to “stimulate the local business economy.”
Velis said that he frequented the office of House Speaker Robert DeLeo (D-Winthrop) during budget week to make his case for these funds.
“I said ‘listen Mr. Speaker, we need this (funding) for reasons A, B, and C,” he said. “I talked about my time on the Disabilities Commission, going up there and seeing some of these people with disabilities struggling to get into the hospital.”
Velis stated that he worked closely with State Senator Don Humason, Jr. (R-Westfield) to ensure the language proposed in the House amendments made it into the Senate’s proposal.
The amendments failed to stick to the Senate’s budget though, which sent them to the legislative conference committee and put them in danger of missing the final cut.
“I called up Chairman (Brian) Dempsey’s office of the House Ways and Means Committee and said ‘I need 30 seconds with the Chairman,'” Velis said, adding that he was able to meet with the powerful Haverhill Democrat two weeks ago, who ensured him the funds would remain in the final budget to be signed by Governor Deval L. Patrick.
“That 30 seconds ended up being 45 minutes with Chairman Dempsey, where I went through point by point by point why this money was critical,” he said. “I stressed the importance of how the property taxes, and the lack of local aid, are killing Westfield. I got into the senior center and how it’s been in the making for 20 years, and that our seniors deserve a break.”
“Both myself and Senator Humason are elected to go down there and be the voice of Westfield,” Velis said. “Here is a perfect example of the voice of Westfield bringing back some good things for this community.”
Humason said that the Velis amendments were left out of the Senate budget to enable discussion.
“The way that the Chairman (Senate Ways and Means) Stephen Brewer looked at it, if it’s in the House, it’s not going to get put in the Senate, because then it’s non-negotiable. There’s no ability to compromise between branches.” said Humason. “You like things to go to conferences, so you can say ‘you want that in the House? We want this priority, so you give me that, we’ll give you this.'”
Humason spoke highly of the “team effort” put forth by himself and Velis, and mentioned several other projects which will receive funds, including a $150,000 appropriation for Westfield State University to conduct a study on Juniper Park Elementary School, which the university plans to turn into an arts center.
Other projects include a new monument for the 104th Fighter Wing at Barnes Air National Guard Base to commemorate a decommissioned F-15 jet which flew over New York City on September 11, 2001, which will receive $15,000.
“And even though we weren’t able to raise local aid across the board, we were able to boost the money coming back to our libraries, and we’ve increased the funding for transportation of homeless school children, as well,” Humason said. “Regional school transportation was increased pretty sizeably, the highest it’s been funded since the program has begun. It will really help districts like Southwick-Tolland, Hampshire Regional, and Gateway (Regional) with the cost of transporting their children. Anything we can do to help them with lowering their costs.”
“I’m pretty happy with how it came out this year,” Humason said of the budget. “I’m happy for my district and very happy for Westfield.”
