I’m in this race for mayor of Greenfield because as your mayor I intend to keep Greenfield moving forward, making progress. As a rural city with a bright future we must remain focused on what we can do, not what we can’t do. We are a creative, generous, and resilient community that, even in the face of big challenges, can proudly claim its rightful place as the economic, educational, and cultural hub of Franklin County.
It would be my pleasure and honor to be your mayor. I’m asking for your vote in the Sept. 10 preliminary election in Greenfield. My only agenda and my only special interest are to serve you.
My 20-plus years of municipal service to this city sets me apart from the other two candidates and gives me the broad experience Greenfield needs in the leader of a city with a $51 million budget and hundreds of employees. I served 16 years on the Planning Board and that experience allowed me to hear first-hand what businesses are looking for in Greenfield. I know we can work smarter to continue making this city a viable, attractive place to do business. While a member of the Planning Board, I participated in most of the economic and residential development that helped grow our tax base.
Projects approved by the Planning Board during my tenure as chairwoman continue to bring in millions of dollars of tax revenue. We must stabilize our tax rate in order to maintain our essential services and infrastructure along with the good schools we’ve come to rely on. Growing the tax base is how we do it! Continuing to make budget cuts across the board as a way to lower our taxes is not a sustainable way to stabilize our tax rate without it impacting essential services that protect our health and safety and bring in revenue.
As chairwoman of the Planning Board, I also directed the citizen-led creation of the Sustainable Master Plan, a living document that states how we want Greenfield to be in 10 years from an economic development, education, infrastructure, and environmental standpoint. The master plan is currently being overseen by another citizen-led team with a steady eye on our future. Many of its recommendations to make a better Greenfield are being implemented, from energy savings, to housing, to transportation.
Before serving on the Planning Board, I was elected to the Greenfield School Committee twice and served as its chair for three of six years. While on the School Committee, I participated in contract negotiations for all bargaining units, helped develop many of the district’s policies, and participated in the hiring of a new Superintendent. As Mayor, being a voting member of our School Committee, and understanding the education and funding issues facing us today will not be unfamiliar territory to me.
My platform, which you can find in detail at Roxann4Mayor.org, is built on a clear-eyed, practical plan of jobs and balanced growth to attract businesses that we know are working here; fiscal sustainability to better manage our municipal finances in order to gain revenue by operating the town more efficiently; strong public schools to ensure that Greenfield is known for schools that attract new students; and open, responsive government that represents a renewed commitment within our city government to serving you daily.
I am, and will continue to be, a fierce advocate for Greenfield. A mayor you can be proud of whether I’m conducting the town’s business in my office with citizens or town employees or in the highest levels of business and government, promoting Greenfield to new potential businesses or fighting in Boston for resources that we need. A good mayor leads from a position of strength, providing clarity, vision, respect, and the ability to work with others as a team. A good mayor understands that our citizens come from all walks of life and circumstances, ethnic backgrounds and cultures, and financial well-being. Therefore, a good mayor is not afraid to seek creative solutions to difficult problems – not pie-in-the-sky solutions, but solutions that have a strong possibility of success and a positive return on our investment. I’ll be that mayor.
Vote for me on Sept. 10!
Roxann Wedegartner is a candidate for Greenfield mayor.