My name is Wahab Minhas and I’m honored to be running for City Council at large. I grew up in Greenfield in a working-class family who operate a few small local businesses. The majority of my elementary education was through the Greenfield public schools. I cherish the lessons taught to me by my teachers and mentors and hope to make them proud.
I completed my high school education at Northfield Mount Hermon and went on to study at Brandeis University. I’ve had the honor of working on two presidential campaigns and a congressional campaign. After college I was drawn back to my hometown of Greenfield and I am now a proud owner of two businesses in Greenfield.
At my businesses, behind the counter, I am in regular contact with Greenfield’s teachers, parents and everyday professionals and have an eye on the pulse of the city. I am a product of Greenfield and am proud to say I have invested everything into Greenfield. I believe there is immense potential in our community. We have some of the most dedicated teachers, nurses, firefighters, artists and young people looking to find their place in the world.
However, we have many issues that we must solve, like our schools that are struggling. Not only are we faced with an administration that underfunded our schools, we have lost around $3 million in revenue from students who have choiced out. We must fully fund our schools through state and local investment.
As a lifelong resident myself, I believe the city government should be assisting citizens in helping them live their best life. Whether that’s investing in public infrastructure and disability access, creating a business-friendly environment that would deliver respectable, well-paying jobs, or facilitating more opportunities for affordable housing, the city government should actively be on your side.
However, the city has dropped the ball in overseeing the cleanup of the Lunt property. Neighbors have complained of health concerns and the city has disregarded community calls for an independent licensed site professional to properly remediate the situation. Additionally, the issue of “home equity theft” shows that the city leadership is hell-bent on stealing people’s property rather than complying with a U.S. Supreme Court ruling that this practice is unconstitutional. The time is now to settle just compensation for the victims.
Our representatives should realize that they are public servants and that they are paid using our tax dollars and act accordingly. The Greenfield Police Department suffers from a lack of trust. As a person of color raised in Greenfield and a business owner I understand the importance of a strong police force with oversight and accountability. A community cannot be safe and function properly if it cannot cooperate with its police department due to a lack of accountability. I would advocate for a more robust participation in the Public Safety Commission as well as more authority or to create an altogether new citizen-led board to bring changes in the Police Department by creating a structure of checks and balances.
As the candidate with the most exposure to downtown, I can tell you that we suffer from a lack of business and foot traffic. Families and shoppers do not frequent Main Street as much as they should because they do not feel safe and because there is not enough economic activity. In a city where it’s hard to even buy a pair of pants, there should be no empty storefronts. Vacant storefronts should be taxed more so that property owners are encouraged to fill them with businesses. Local business is the key to sustainable economic growth.
Greenfield must aim to increase homeownership, which can be accomplished through many legal structures. We need to build affordable housing, and we need to encourage the creation of advanced industrial jobs that pay a living wage. I say this as the owner of a small business in the city who has made a financial commitment to succeed in my hometown, and keep our dollars local.
Coming from an immigrant family, I understand many of the struggles of being an outsider, but I will never forget the opportunities and acceptance that have made Greenfield home for me and my family. I am compelled to give back to the community through advocacy and representation. I hope you can join me on this journey to bring more transparency, accountability and vision to the City Council. Thank you.
Wahab Minhas is a candidate for at-large seat on the Greenfield City Council.