Candidate Questionnaire

Why are you running for office?

I am running for City Council at Large because I believe I bring the energy and the passion that is needed in this position, along with fresh ideas that are needed to move Holyoke forward. I am running because I want to give back to the city I love. I am running because I want to raise my family here, grow my business here and do what I can to put Holyoke on the right track to prosper in the 21st Century. I am running because I believe it is our civic duty to serve and do our part to make our communities better.

What are your qualifications for the post?

The qualifications I bring to the office of City Council at Large include an eagerness to do the work that is needed to move our city forward, valuable listening skills, good negotiating skills and the ability to bring fresh ideas to the Council. I have roots and connections throughout the city, from the Highlands to South Holyoke, and I believe those connections are key in bringing Holyoke together.

Since May of 2009, I have been on my “learning and listening tour.” Through meetings with business, civic, municipal and community leaders, I have gained insight into many of the details concerning Holyoke’s challenges, as well as our future possibilities. Making these connections in our city and being educated in housing, taxes, non-profits and infrastructure has provided me a better understanding of how the city works, enabling me to make good decisions on the Council.

As a downtown business owner, I want to see Holyoke grow and prosper. As a resident, I simply care about this city; the whole city and all of its residents. This dedication and commitment will drive me to make informed decisions to improve our city and keep Holyoke a place we all want to call home.

What are the key issues facing your community?

Holyoke has many issues facing it today including a need for jobs and business growth, as well as strengthening our schools and bringing our diverse community together. Holyoke has many positive things happening as well, including it’s Green potential, rich history, affordable housing stock, low energy rates, ground breaking of the canal walk, dedicated residents, the pending high speed computer center and a culturally diverse community.

I believe one of the main issues facing Holyoke is the need to bring everyone “back to the table.” Getting our municipal, civic and business leaders communicating and working together will help us reach a shared vision for the city. Also working to get our non-profits and human services into collaborations that will help to better serve our community. Communications and collaborations toward a collective plan will help us to market our city in a better way, which will help to keep our current businesses, while working to attract new businesses both large and small.

As a part of organizing team for Holyoke’s “Community Conversation” and participant in the event, I learned just how much all of the residents of Holyoke have in common. I learned that we all want the same things for our family and our city. I learned that we all want a safe and clean city, with opportunities for our young people on up to our seniors. I learned that we all want good schools that prepare our children for the future. I learned that we all want to call Holyoke our home and we all want our home to be the best that it can be.

Holyoke Election Issue Survey

1. I am in favor of the ballot question to establish a charter commission to review and study our city’s form of government. As a voter, I will vote “yes” on the charter review.
I believe all aspects of how the city runs should be looked at as Holyoke moves into the 21st Century. Any changes that can streamline how government works, maintain the checks and balances of power and establish relevant rules and guidelines for today’s world, all can be important and useful. Holyoke’s charter is old and outdated. There are currently ways within city council to work with the charter and move policies forward, however, I think any governing document or business plan should be periodically reviewed and edited or amended if needed in order to better serve the public.

The chanter review and the elected commission is also another way to invite the public to participate in city government and how it is run. Civic engagement is critical for residents to have “ownership” in their city. I am in favor of actions and opportunities that give the people a voice in their community.

2. The “perfect storm” of budget problems and of possible budget cuts from the State will no doubt hurt Holyoke in a significant way. Though I believe Holyoke to be rich in culture, history, art and potential, we are not a rich town in the sense of our revenue. Becoming more stable and self-sufficient regarding the costs associated with running the city, I believe is a goal we should be working with. I think we need to establish a 10-year tax plan to show we are thinking about the future and demonstrating to potential businesses that we have a forward-thinking plan.

To say schools and police should be immune to any budgets cuts would be ideal in the perfect world. I would also include the fire department and even our public works department employees, for they both too are critical to the city. Any additional cuts from the State need to be evaluated and every department would have to be looked at. I will do what I can to protect the budgets and pay of fire, police, teachers and city employees, while also doing what is needed for the city as a whole to keep solvent.

Further, I believe consolidating within departments, techniques for better energy saving and allotment for overtime all needs to be looked at. We also need to look at creative and innovate ways to bring in revenue, ways to put vacant buildings back on our tax rolls, ways to get people jobs which bring in taxes and ways to have all sectors of the city support one another. Finally, I would try to address and disburse any emergency cuts from the State in a way that would have the least effect on the city and how it functions. Though we may have a substantial “rainy day” fund, I would see that as a last resort to cover any State budget cuts.

3. As a downtown business owner, I am not just “taking the talk” about downtown revitalization, but I am “walking the walk.” I believe we need market rate housing in downtown and to refill our urban core with the kind of density that is appropriate for Holyoke. We need the right land and energy incentives, like the ones that were the original way businesses were brought into Holyoke, to be relevant today and attractive to new businesses. I would like to see us invite local businesses from Greenfield, Keene and Brattleboro to open a second location or satellite store in Holyoke. I would like to see us use better ways to market our green energy, our location and our infrastructure to outside companies.

Voters can believe in me because my agenda is not personal. I truly wish for the whole city to prosper. Voters can believe in me because I am not a career politician trying to feed them a stump speech. I am a resident and business owner who cares. Voters can believe in me because win or loose on November 3rd, I will continue to stay involved and work hard to make Holyoke the great city we all know it can be.