I have worked for Mayor Roxann Wedegartner for nearly three years as her executive assistant and in that time I have seen her work with state legislators, department heads, and staff, treating all with respect and compassion, and I have seen the respect she engenders from those same people. She really listens, and takes time to learn about issues that come before her, using her prodigious intellect to understand the complexities of the thorniest problems. I see how much she cares about Greenfield, truly and deeply.
She has worked tirelessly since January 2020, first to guide the city through an unprecedented global pandemic, and then, as we moved out of the worst of those days, to shepherd the construction of a new public library, fire station, and skate park. She facilitated the Wilson’s redevelopment with The Community Builders and MassDevelopment, a project that will provide a new space for downtown anchor Green Fields Market and 65 downtown housing units. She hired a grant writer who has brought more than $80M to the city and a communications director who keeps the public informed to an unprecedented extent. She hires good people and trusts them to do their jobs.
The work of a mayor is not easy. It requires tough decisions and a firm grasp of the myriad responsibilities required to manage what is, in essence, a nearly $60M business. It requires skill, knowledge, patience, and flexibility. It requires working with all kinds of people, from a constituent having issues to the governor of the commonwealth. It requires a clear-eyed grasp of issues and sometimes, it requires making the best of a bad situation. Hoping for the best is not enough; hard work is what makes things happen. I’m voting for Roxann Wedegartner because I know she is the best person for the job.
Caitlin von Schmidt
Greenfield