“Vote For Vega” by David Waingarten from stone circles at The Stone House on Vimeo.

Aaron Vega, a native of Holyoke, MA, local business owner and local community organizer has been endorsed by the UAW Local 2322, offices located in Holyoke.

Aaron Vega is running for City Council because the city of Holyoke is his home and he believes Holyoke can do better to make this city prosper again. He has the desire to be an active member in building a city that is safe, vibrant and inviting to all people. This is the city where Aaron Vega wants to raise his family, grow his business and continue to call home.

Aaron Vega brings to the City Council a fresh voice and new ideas. He brings new energy, a willingness to learn and a positive “can do” attitude. Aaron Vega is driven to make our city better.

Ron Patenaude, President of the UAW Local 2322 says, “The UAW has a storied history of supporting equality and social justice and we are proud as a Union to support candidates like Aaron and other young progressives who we believe are the future of the Democratic Party and our best hope for building a more just society.”

“I am very excited about this endorsement.  The UAW local 2322 and I both believe that our city of Holyoke should be more labor friendly and should promote a community of higher employment.  This endorsement is a testament to my ability as a local community organizer and active citizen and business owner within Holyoke,” says Aaron Vega.

Aaron Vega has been an organizer within the Holyoke Community as a founding member of Citizens for the Revitalization & Urban Success of Holyoke and an organizer of Holyoke’s Community Convention in 2009.

Aaron Vega, who appears a perfect 10th on the ballot, is a local business owner in one of the old factory buildings, Open Square.  Aaron Vega feels he can bring his knowledge of starting a business within the center of the city to creating incentives for other businesses to create more jobs for the citizens of Holyoke.

Related posts:

1. Candidate Questionnaire

What are your qualifications for the elected position you seek?

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.

Why do want the position you seek?

I am seeking the office of City Councilor at Large because I believe I can help Holyoke prosper in the 21st Century.  I believe I can get us on the right to track to take advantage of all the positive momentum in Holyoke.  I believe I can help leverage and build upon our infrastructure, our assets, our location and our potential.

I want to grow my business here, raise my family here and give back to the city I call home.  I believe that fresh faces with new ideas working together with the experienced leaders in our city, will open new opportunities, spur new growth and create positive ways of doing business.

I seek this position because I know Holyoke’s future is bright and I am not someone to sit on the sidelines. I feel Holyoke’s municipal leadership needs to reflect the population of our city, including Latinos, business owners, active community builders, native Holyokers and new residents.

I am seeking the position of City Councilor at Large because I know I can bring the leaders of this great city together to the table; working together to coordinate our efforts, hone in on our missions, and create a better Holyoke.

What are your top three priorities for the position you seek?

The top three priorities I see that are needed for Holyoke to move forward and prosper in the 21st Century include marketing our city to bring in jobs and new residents, establishing smart incentives to keep our streets clean and safe and creating a more accessible and accountable city government.

In the proper marketing of our city, we can establish ourselves as a leader in Green Business and Technology. Capitalizing on our low energy rates and affordable building spaces, we need to aggressively and creatively invite new businesses both large and small into Holyoke, which will bring in more jobs and increase our tax base.

Establishing smart incentives for business owners and residents to keep our streets clean and safe will help build ownership in our neighborhoods and address our current issues of crime and blight. Incentives will provide small rewards for those who are doing their part to keep our city clean and give residents pride in their neighborhoods.

Having a city government that is accessible and accountable will encourage more civic engagement from all of our residents. Transparency and an “open door” policy will help bridge the divides we face in Holyoke and bring our community together.

Related posts:

1. Candidate Questionnaire
2. Endorsed By The UAW Local 2322

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.

Candidate Questionnaire

Name and Office Sought

Aaron M. Vega

Candidate for City Council at Large

Age & Date of Birth

39 years old, born 8/15/70

Address

28 St James Ave

Holyoke MA 01040

Occupation & Employer

Co-Owner/Director VegaYoga & Movement Arts

Free Lance Film and Video Editor

Education

B.A. Psychology – Keene State College

B.A. Theatre and Film Arts – Keene State College

Elected Office Held

I do not currently nor have I held elected office in the past.

Memberships

• Board of Directors Member: Holyoke Health Center
• Member of: Friends of the Holyoke Public Library, Friends of Pulaski Park, and Friends of the Council on Aging
• Union Member: 4c’s SEIU LOCAL 1973
• Founding member of the Holyoke based community group C.R.U.S.H. (Citizens For The Revitalization and Urban Success of Holyoke)

Relatives Employed by the Federal, State or City Government

I have no relative currently employed by the federal, state or city government.

Related posts:

1. Holyoke Tax Payers Association Questionnaire
2. Endorsed By The UAW Local 2322