What about the issues?
I want to address some of the main issues that I hear people talking about in town,
but if youhave other concerns, please reach out to me!
Taxes
One of the main issues I hear people talk about is the budget, and how high our taxes are. There is no easy solution to this. Westborough has historically had high standards for our public servants; teachers, police, fire, DPW etc., and we have to make difficult decisions, if we expect to maintain those levels. I want to be more involved in those decisions than
I can be from the Planning Board, but I do believe that our current Board and Administration have done an exceptional job at managing our money, and I expect that to continue. Many of those decisions will also need to be made by Town Meeting, but we also have to recognize that as costs go up, taxes go up.
Economic Development is one way to reduce the tax burden on our residential taxpayers, but it is not a quick solution, and we need to be careful to assess impacts on traffic, infrastructure and schools. The Master Plan calls for revitalization of Downtown, and the creation of a Business Improvement District (BID) may be worthwhile to assist with the cost and to ensure affected landowners have input on the direction of that revitalization. We also need to continue to pursue outside funding sources (grants, public/private partnerships, gifts) when possible to lower costs.
The Library
I am supporting the Town Warrant Article for the renovation of the Library. This renovation is necessary and cannot be put off any longer without affecting the experience of patrons, impacting service levels, and potentially endangering occupants. Our Library is a special building, and we should not let it fall further into disrepair.
Community Center
The phased approach that is proposed for the build-out of the Community Center is a good approach to stagger the impact of the costs, but we need to recognize that the seniors of this
town are partially paying for the cost of the acquisition, and they deserve the benefits that the new Senior Center will bring. I think it is important to complete this facility as quickly as fiscal policy allows. I support the Town Warrant Articles for the pool renovation and the replacement of the HVAC units as necessary and cost-effective means to ensure the maximum utility of the building as well as additional revenues.
BWALT
The Boston-Worcester Airline Trail is an exciting opportunity for the Town, and we should continue to pursue the necessary easements, as well as construction when possible. However, I think this is a long-term project, to be pursued when outside funding is available, and every effort should be made to minimize the impact to the taxpayers, as well as to keep abutting landowners informed.
Country Club Building
While I loved having a restaurant at the Country Club, I do not believe the Town should bear the cost of rebuilding/renovating. I would like to explore offering a long-term, transferrable land lease that interested parties could bid on the right to build the restaurant or renovate the existing building. This could bring up front revenue, as well as annual lease terms that would be similar to the tax revenue from a similar building. Part of the lease terms could include a shared parking agreement and publicly accessible restrooms for golfers’ use. The last thing I want to see is another empty restaurant; let’s make sure we have a successful plan with an identified end user.