This article is the first in a two-part series covering a candidates forum hosted by the League of Women Voters of Franklin County at the John Zon Community Center on Monday evening. The second part will feature the six candidates for four-year School Committee terms.
GREENFIELD — Candidates running for Greenfield’s City Council, Board of Assessors and School Committee introduced themselves to the community at a forum hosted by the League of Women Voters of Franklin County on Monday.
Six ballot candidates for City Council — At-Large Councilor Sara Brown, Precinct 7 candidate Sarah Bolduc, Precinct 9 candidate Max Webbe, City Council President Lora Wondolowski, Precinct 6 Councilor Patricia Williams and At-Large candidate Maisie Sibbison-Alves — took turns providing three-minute introductions. The candidates were then asked to answer the question: “What do you see as the greatest challenge facing Greenfield for the foreseeable future?”
Sara Brown
Brown, who was appointed to her seat following former Councilor Penny Ricketts’ resignation last year, explained that she considers housing to be one of the city’s most pressing challenges. She also outlined her service on the Ways and Means Committee, Community Relations Committee and Unhoused Community Committee.
“I enjoy being part of local politics because I can make a tangible difference in the quality of residents’ lives and to meet their needs,” Brown said. “I believe in the power of continuous learning and building coalitions to get things done and make a government that truly works for all. … I understand that the city budget is a reflection of the values that we hold as a community, and I’m hopeful to work toward a more transparent and participatory process. In particular, I’m passionate about housing as a foundation of our community, guided by the belief that housing is a human right.”
Brown believes her year of service has been a form of “boot camp” to continue serving the city. She hopes to serve for another four years to create a rental registry, short-term rental tax ordinance and transportation infrastructure improvements.
“If I’m elected to represent, I aim to work on a rental registry to ensure quality housing for renters, an affordable housing trust and a short-term rental ordinance to tax Airbnbs,” Brown said. “I value our Greenfield public schools, and I want to prioritize education as an investment in our community.”
Discussing the greatest challenge facing the city, Brown brought up the financial strains on the federal level trickling down to the states.
“Our biggest challenge is the federal government and the state government, and then so much responsibilities and constraints falling on the local government, and then the dysfunction ends up here,” Brown said. “For example, the cuts to social safety nets, like the food stamps being on hold, that’s pretty disruptive to a lot of peoples’ lives. … Also, since we don’t have single-payer health care, there are rising health care costs and our city budget is not able to keep up with that. That’s the main thing — scarcity creating division.”
Sarah Bolduc
Bolduc, who currently serves on the Historical Commission, discussed the need for Greenfield to honor and remember its rich history, while still moving forward into a new era without clinging to the past.
“In 1982, a local historian wrote that Greenfield was becoming harder for any one person to understand, and that our identity was shifting — that people were afraid that the town was losing its direction. Four years later, I think that still rings true,” Bolduc said. “Greenfield has always been at a crossroads — physically, on the maps and as a society. We’re urban and rural, we’re working class, we’re rooted in history, and we look forward toward the future. That’s a mix that makes this place powerful, I think, but it also means that we don’t always agree on what Greenfield should become. The factors that once shaped our identity are long gone. We can’t rebuild that past and we shouldn’t pretend anymore that we can.”
Bolduc also cited the challenges of housing and food insecurity, and Greenfield’s need to move forward and grow as a community.
“We’re left with the real question — what kind of community do we want to be now? I don’t think the rhetoric or nostalgia is going to have our answer. I think it’s found in listening; I think it’s found in data collaboration and in real results,” Bolduc said. “The challenges that we’re facing are housing becoming harder to secure, food insecurity that’s touching more and more families every year, and, frankly, political division that’s making it harder to solve the problems that we all share. But I believe in Greenfield, I believe in us, I believe in you and I think moving forward is essential.”
Discussing the city’s greatest future challenge, Bolduc believes the community, much of which she said feels disenfranchised, needs to unite toward common goals.
“As a city, we’re already part of a community, whether we’re dysfunctional or not. Whether it looks different than we expected, we are all part of this community. We’re going to tell that next story together. I think it’s a lot harder for institutions here in the city to win back the trust of a disenfranchised public,” Bolduc said. “I hear a lot about how people feel that they’ve not had their needs met. I think that that contract goes both ways — I think … we need to demonstrate that good things can be possible if we work together.”
Max Webbe
Webbe, who described himself as a “political refugee” from Texas who volunteers to clean up homeless encampments and works as a landscaper, said that he wants to improve the quality of life for those in the community.
“I love the small-town feel of Greenfield and having a connection to my neighbors like you. I want kids to grow up here, to be safe, happy and well-educated, and, like you, I see that the city is the amazing place it is because of the investment and involvement of its residents,” Webbe said. “Greenfield cannot escape the challenges impacting Franklin County, the state and the nation. As a renter and as someone managing a small independent business as a landscaper, in addition to part-time jobs, I empathize with the difficulties of declining economic opportunity, as well as the stress of living with a carefully cut budget. I have listened to your stories of rising costs of living and frustration with the management of our city budget.”
Webbe said he supports housing production in the city and plans to vote “no” on Question 1 to reverse City Council’s vote to sell and develop the Hope Street parking lot. He hopes to rally for trash pickup for the homeless, as well as find creative ways to enhance public education, such as rallying for increased Chapter 70 funding.
“I care about the stability and sustainability of Greenfield and I take the responsibility of representing Precinct 9. … I will advocate for decisions that invest in quality education, such as valley-wide coalition building so we can get the Chapter 70 funding that our schools need and deserve,” Webbe said. “I will support housing availability by voting ‘no’ on this year’s ballot question and by welcoming new and creative solutions to housing that keeps our small-town feel and addresses the needs are built for future climate resiliency.”
Webbe added that he believes building a strong, united community is one of the most pressing tasks the city is facing in the future.
“The issue that I’m most concerned about is building community. I come from Texas, I’m trans, I am a political refugee from my own state and I can’t live there anymore. I don’t think anybody in this room wants that reality for Greenfield,” Webbe said. “What we need is to be able to sit in the discomfort of knowing how to hold those conversations in different viewpoints, so we can get to the places where we want to be with affordability and community closeness and development and anything else that we want to accomplish.”
Patricia Williams
Williams, who was appointed to her position following former Councilor Sheila Gilmour’s resignation earlier this year, outlined her career working on three separate mayoral campaigns, as well as her roughly three decades of service as a union representative.
“I’ve been in Greenfield for the last 24 years. I spent 30 years as a union representative. I was with the Boston hotel workers SEIU 495, in Worcester, the Massachusetts Nurses Association, for a wonderful 14 years, and also worked for the non-faculty professionals at the University of Connecticut,” Williams said. “I’ve represented people for a long time. I’m a strong advocate of civil rights.”
Williams vowed her support for housing at the 53 Hope St. lot, and added that she believes in transparent and open government.
“I am presently active with the housing for Hope Street [movement]. As a current council member, I voted to allow the city to move toward a request for proposals process for housing, and I continue to stand by that decision. I will be voting ‘no’ on Nov. 4. I believe that government at all levels needs to be transparent, and that openness and community participation is essential to holding onto what democracy we have left,” Williams said. “I also want to state that I’ve been active in the immigrant rights movement locally, that I believe what is going on right now in this country is wrong, with ICE tearing apart families, and that I am a very strong supporter of the No Kings movement.”
Williams said funding is one of the most pressing challenges the city faces, particularly given the federal funding cuts.
“The biggest challenge we’re going to be facing is because we’re dealing with federal cutbacks in terms of what the state gets. That means locally, there’ll be less money coming this way. We’re dealing with a smaller budget,” Williams said. “We’re going to have to be extremely creative, because there’s so many needs that have to be covered with the city budget, so it’s going to take a great deal of creativity and cooperation to make sure that we can do what we need to do with perhaps less money.”
Lora Wondolowski
Wondolowski, who became City Council president this year following her previous work representing Precinct 8, explained her initial reasons for running for office in 2023 after Douglas Mayo resigned.
“I first ran for City Council and got involved in Greenfield politics when the former mayor was cutting the school budget. I have two kids, one has already graduated from the public school system here in Greenfield, and I felt like I finally needed to step up. After that, I then decided to put my name forward for the seat when Doug Mayo stepped down,” Wondolowski said. “I’m a single mom, I’ve lived here for 24 years. … I chose a place that had a downtown center that is walkable, but I also can, 10 minutes later, ride my bike and be in farm fields. … We all really care about this community because it has a rural component, as well as a vibrant downtown that maybe doesn’t feel as vibrant anymore as maybe some people think it was in the past.”
Easing the financial burden of residents who are trying to afford a home in Greenfield, Wondolowski said, is one of her main priorities, along with downtown revitalization, education and protection for the LGBTQ community.
“I have talked to so many neighbors and others, people who are living in cars, choosing between transportation and housing, people who want to downsize but don’t see any opportunities. Some people move; with others, all their kids have moved out and they are looking for other choices,” Wondolowski said. “I’m also prioritizing how we revitalize the downtown — that is the beating heart of this town and we need to look at how we can build more opportunities there. … I spent 11 years running a regional leadership development organization, and I’ve seen how engaging people in community makes a tremendous difference.”
When asked what she believes is the most pressing issue facing Greenfield, Wondolowski said that high costs of living, including a large tax burden for homeowners and increasing rent rates for apartment-dwellers, are making it more difficult for people to stay in the city.
“I am talking to so many people who are just struggling to keep up with rising costs. We have a big tax burden people talk about, and … you see it in your property taxes going up, and that’s the backbone of what supports our city services. Because we don’t have enough of a tax base, it means that the few of us who do own homes have to spend more,” she said. “Because we don’t have enough affordable housing available, rents are through the roof and they’re all the people who got priced out of other communities, who have come up here and now they can’t afford it here either. We’ve got to figure out how we can grow our base, revitalize our downtown, so that we can make this community more affordable.”
Maisie Sibbison-Alves
Sibbison-Alves, who works as a massage therapist, told the audience that she hopes to bring the community together and help the city thrive for “people of all incomes.”
“I’m running for City Council because I want to improve people’s lives here in Greenfield, and I want to help Greenfield thrive. I want to live in a world where people’s basic material needs are met and where people feel respected. I strongly believe that these are the conditions that foster creative ideas and cooperation in a community. We must all work toward Greenfield becoming a place where people can afford to stay. I promote building more housing for people with different needs and incomes,” Sibbison-Alves said. “I support investment and strong infrastructure. I want to help grow our local economy and support jobs that provide a living wage. I support Greenfield’s ongoing effort toward combating climate change and I advocate for the rights and needs of our most vulnerable residents.”
Describing her background in the arts, Sibbison-Alves explained that she has lived in cities across the country and has seen “so many social and economic struggles.”
“I see so much potential to move toward these goals with many open-minded and strategic problem-solvers working for our city, people who care deeply about our future. … I’ve spent over a decade running my own business helping people break out of old patterns and begin to align their bodies and minds with shiatsu massage therapy, and I’ve spent my life deeply involved in making art and supporting community art spaces,” she said. “I believe what connects us is more powerful than what divides us. Of course, we’re going to disagree and have dialogue — that’s part of healthy community. I promise to help foster a social environment where we can be open to and learn from each other’s ideas and treat each other with respect.”
Sibbison-Alves, when asked what she believes is the most pressing issue facing the city, spoke about development.
“I grew up in a household that was very concerned with issues of development in Greenfield. Coming back here, I see the same, or I see development is still the No. 1 contentious issue in town,” she said. “People have such strong beliefs around where and what development should be and I think that’s our biggest local challenge.”
Board of Assessors, School Committee
Following a round of introductions and questions for city councilors, Historical Commission member Jeremy Ebersole, who is running unopposed for a four-year seat on the Board of Assessors, and Melissa Webb, who is also unopposed in her bid for a two-year School Committee term, both introduced themselves to the community.
Ebersole said he hopes to bring the same thought, analysis and compassion to the Board of Assessors that he has brought to his Historical Commission role.
“I’m proud of the work the commission has done in the last year to support win-win preservation solutions, including the imperfect, but still I think laudable, salvage and move of the former Coldbrook Springs Baptist Church from our Main Street back to the community where it originated. … My expertise is in understanding the value of older buildings, which, of course, almost all buildings in Greenfield are,” he said. “I’ll be the first to acknowledge that serving on the Board of Assessors is a new venture for me, but I look forward to approaching it with the same kind of thoughtful, analytical and compassionate lens that I approach everything with. … Ultimately, the good of the city and the good of the individual are inextricably intertwined. Always remember that as we seek to strike a fair and reasoned balance in what we do, we both need money to run our city and we need to keep cost of living manageable for residents. That balance is key.”
Webb described her history as the district’s Parent-Teacher Organization president, and her dedication to creating policies and spending practices that best support students.
“I’m very invested in Greenfield Public Schools. I actually started volunteering [in the district] when my daughter was 1 year old. … I really like our schools. I just want to show up and support our teachers and our students,” she said. “Currently, I am the PTO president and I have been for the last two years. I have three kids. I have a daughter at Greenfield Middle School and another child at [The Academy of Early Learning] so I really get to see how policies are made, how they’re actually implemented, how they affect our children directly and also how money affects our children. I’m just excited to run and be part of both ends of the spectrum — being able to see it and being able to be part of the change.”
