GREENFIELD — In a Q and A with mayoral candidates Sheila Gilmour, Roxann Wedegartner and write-in candidate Brickett Allis, topics such as the city budget, economic development and the role the city should play with the Franklin Regional Transit Authority (FRTA) were answered.
The forum, which was held at the John Zon Community Center on Monday, was moderated by Tammy Thompson of Sunderland, owner of Mountain View Dance.
When asked about how the candidates would approach the budget process, although it will be an abbreviated process the first year, Wedegartner answered first.
“I believe I would take a look at each and every department having already had conversations with them,” Wedegartner said. “I’d try to get to understand where they can trim and what their most significant needs are for the coming year and perhaps beyond because we also create a capital budget. From there I will have to use my best judgment based on what I know about whatever financial position we’re in, in order to craft a budget we can present to the council.”
Gilmour said she believes it is important to see where cuts were made throughout the budget process as well as involve the community in budget discussions.
“When the mayor sends the budget out — when we have that first draft — I think it’s important to see what things have been cut because I think if the community disagrees with those cuts, then they should have a chance to weigh in on that,” Gilmour said. “As a city councilor, I’ve always been curious what the first draft looked like coming from the department heads, so I know how we got to the position we’re in.”
Allis said he believes it is the mayor’s job to craft the budget that takes the city’s needs into account.
“Prior to submitting to the City Council, bring in the Ways and Means Committee, if not just the chairperson,” Allis said. “I served on the committee and by virtue of that committee, you sit on the Capital Improvements Committee. It is separate from the operating budget, but an important piece because that committee goes through and prioritizes each and every capital need and looks at them separately and together. I think that’s something that should happen with the operating budget as well.”
Candidates were asked how they would make the city attractive to people, retailers and manufacturers.
Gilmour said she believes there are attractive qualities in Greenfield and the city should expand on them.
“It could be a better place to raise a family if we can modernize how we think about economic development. … Most people who are my age are … going to need high-speed broadband,” she said. “We have to make sure we’re taking care of our schools. People aren’t going to want to come here if they feel our schools aren’t serving them well.”
Allis answered, “affordability, affordability, affordability.”
“You make it affordable for people to live here, you make it affordable for businesses to locate here and you make it affordable for industries to set up shop here,” he said. “On my website I have laid out ways we can generate revenue from outside sources, things such as creating an ambulance service. … I would implement the use of civil tickets through the Police Department. … As for industrial, we need to foster growth through tax increment finance programs.”
Wedegartner said she felt the city should recognize the land available as well as the abandoned areas downtown that are available for use.
“We have the roughly 100 acres of developable land in the existing industrial park. We have the opportunity through a recent grant to expand the industrial park and that’s working, so that will be great,” Wedegartner said. “For those who do not need such a large canvas, we have abandoned underutilized buildings that I believe through tweaks and amendments to the zoning bylaw we can make more attractive for mixed-use and businesses.”
Candidates were also asked how they plan to use their role with the Franklin Regional Transit Authority.
Allis said the first thing he would do is not evict the FRTA from its building, which has been pitched as a temporary location for the Fire Station.
“Whether that’s changed or not, I don’t know, but that’s the last I heard about what the plan would be to move the Fire Department to build the library. … Further, moving forward, partnering with them (FRTA) to make sure that we have public transportation from the center of town to the outskirts of town, to Leyden Woods, which we already have, but making sure we continue to have that.”
Wedegartner said the city provides a lot of funding to the FRTA and it should use that money wisely. “One of the things the mayor can do and I would do, is appoint someone who actually uses the transportation services to the FRTA board,” Wedegartner said. “The other thing we can do is find the funding for weekend and night transportation through the FRTA. I’m not going to pretend it’s an easy thing to do, but it will certainly be a priority of mine. … For people who rely on transportation, it doesn’t just mean they can come to town on the weekends. It means they can actually get to work.”
The services don’t match with people’s schedules, according to Gilmour. “I think advocating for night and weekend service is important, but also having more routes and direct routes to major employers, the Northampton industrial park, possibly Yankee Candle,” Gilmour said. “That should take a lot of advocacy work. It’s going to happen outside of the mayor’s office, but it’s going to be about being a supportive partner and making sure they have someone with their best interest at heart on the board.”