GREENFIELD — After last November’s presidential election, Otis Wheeler was inspired to get more involved in the community, so he decided to run for Town Council.
Wheeler, 36, is vying for the Precinct 7 seat against Dan Viorel Oros. A Franklin County native, Wheeler has lived or worked in Greenfield for the past 12 years. He currently is station manager at Falls Cable Corporation in Shelburne Falls and operations manager for Bernardston-Northfield Community Television.
“This is my first time running for office, although I have a lot of experience attending public meetings. I used to film them when I worked at GCTV,” he said.
Wheeler said his decision to run was influenced by both the presidential election and the political climate in town.
“I think that the council currently is fairly divided, and I don’t know that its current makeup necessarily represents the views of the townspeople. I was disappointed by the way the council voted on safe city,” he said, adding the council’s vote to reject the proposal that would have made Greenfield a “safe city” for undocumented immigrants solidified his decision to run for council.
Wheeler said he is already collaborating with many other first-time candidates and believes they would work well together on the council. He said the current council leadership, which he considers conservative, may not agree with them on certain issues, but Wheeler believes it’s important to find a way to work together.
He considers himself a progressive candidate.
“I believe in properly funding our public schools, and I’m really against the type of across-the-board budget cuts such as the one the council approved earlier this year,” he said. “I think that ignores the voices of a lot of people who have taken the time to submit budget recommendations and who have tried to make their voices heard — I think that taking a scalpel to the budget like that really ignores those voices.”
Other issues Wheeler hopes to support if he is elected include a future safe city proposal, a syringe access program and a new downtown library. He said although public libraries serve everyone, they are especially important for marginalized or disenfranchised residents, and it’s important to keep Greenfield’s library downtown where it can be easily accessed.
He also noted that Greenfield is set to receive a state grant to help pay for construction of the building.
“I think it would be foolish to turn that down, so I think we should do whatever we can” to move the fire station to a new public safety complex with the police and make way for a new library, he said.
Wheeler also hopes to help bring a skatepark to Greenfield, which he said would help keep children off the streets.
“I also have roots in the community. I’m not going anywhere and I have an interest in seeing the town do well. I think that I excel at listening to others, and so I would look forward to being the eyes and ears in my precinct to hear what’s going on, what people’s issues are, their problems, and bring those to the relevant parties and departments,” he said.