The school budget is a perfect example of why I’m voting for Mayor Roxann Wedegartner. Anyone who looks at her record and says she doesn’t support the schools is deceiving themselves.
I have two kids in the Greenfield schools. Schools are one of many city departments and budgets, and the mayor is responsible for all of them. You might even say she has to be “a mayor for all,” no matter how difficult the decision she faces. The mayor increased the school budget each year during the last three years. This year, a 10% school increase was impossible without cutting nearly every other essential service. Making such a tough (and politically unfavorable) call, during an election year no less, tells me all I need to know about the mayor’s priorities. The overall health and well being of the city and its entire budget is her priority.
Mayor Wedegartner has done an incredible job shepherding Greenfield through some very challenging times. Her experience is invaluable and the last thing I want to do is start over with a far less qualified candidate. Given the constant abuse the mayor and her team have endured while working so hard for us, I am incredibly thankful that she’s willing to give us another four years. She tunes out the noise and just does her job.
Matthew Cavanaugh
Greenfield