GREENFIELD — In Russell Johnson’s neighborhood, residents are always willing to lend a hand when someone needs help. Now, the Precinct 6 Town Council candidate is hoping to bring that type of unity to local politics.
Johnson, 60, is a Greenfield native who served in the Army for 12 years. If elected, he hopes to create more cohesiveness among town councilors, address the opioid epidemic and expand Greenfield’s tax base.
He is running in Precinct 6 against Sheila Gilmour in the Nov. 7 annual town election.
“I’ve just been so disappointed with the willingness that people have to cut each other’s throats,” he said. “Somehow that has to stop, and that’s my main concern.”
Johnson, who nearly lost his middle son to a heroin overdose, said he wants to bring more treatment options to Greenfield. Two of his sons moved to Washington to seek treatment for their addictions, and Johnson said getting the problem under control locally would address a number of problems, including needles that are being left on the ground throughout the community.
“I want to see that change, I don’t think anybody should have to leave their community in order to get the right services to help them with their addiction,” he said. “Young people and old people make mistakes, we need to be there to help them, not just coddle them, but to have very real expectations as to what needs to take place to combat this epidemic.”
As far as taxes are concerned, Johnson said Greenfield needs to attract businesses to town to expand the tax base.
Although he said he’s not in support of a split tax rate, which shifts the tax burden onto business and industry, Johnson said he would like to see some sort of tiered tax system. For example, he said businesses could not be taxed at all for the first three years, then the tax rate increased to 50 percent, then a full tax rate by five years.
Instead of building a new library on Main Street, Johnson said he would rather see the current library renovated. However, he said he would like to see a new Public Safety Complex built in a central, downtown location.
Johnson also said he would vote against a future “safe city” ordinance. Instead, he said the government should focus on trying to make it easier for undocumented immigrants to obtain citizenship.
“Nobody wants these people excluded from our community, but I believe we have to follow the law. When we step outside the law, it’s all well meaning and it’s a humanitarian sort of scope, but it’s still breaking the law,” he said, adding, “There’s nobody that’s threatened in our community, the police never ask anybody what their status is — whether they’re an immigrant or not, they just take care of the issue.”