After several years of leadership placing ego’s and personal agendas way ahead of the needs of the community at times, I can’t think of a more important time to be engaged and paying attention. The midterm elections are held in a few months and as the local races for Mayor and City Council heat up, we as residents need to be sure that we are well aware of what that means for our city and our future. We have some great options and a lot to be excited about so take a few minutes and learn about your area councilors or the candidates for Mayor. Here are a couple of issues close to me.
Developer Friendly City — While Westfield made late payments to attorney’s and argued over just about everything they could talk about, the development community quietly left town. These are the people that build the buidlings, take on hundreds of millions of dollars in risk and turn visions into realities. By acting the way we have, we have made it much more attractive to work in every other adjacent city and boy have they. These other cities have leveraged the developers to create billions in tax revenue, thousands of jobs and amenities that you can only dream of. These communities enjoyed the greatest growth period in our generation and even during the pandemic kept building. Westfield on the other hand has gone from the fast growing community to nearly zero new projects and that will not change until we do. We need a Mayor that can make deals and a council that understands them. Both parties will need to work hard together to be sure that the communities long term plan is played out through these relationships as well as being open to the brilliant new projects the development groups can bring to a city. That’s what we need now. A city that works with Developers and to get away from the “if they want it bad enough” mentality. This is why I would cast my first vote.
Vision and Planning — One of the most important items in my opinion is that lack of updated plans for our cities growth. We have an outdated comprehensive plan that really doesn’t work for growing communities. I am hopeful that our next mayor digs in deep and creates a vision that not only preserves what has been started but also can see how suburbs are growing for the next 10 and 20 years. We need a guidebook that developers, planners and commissioners can adhere to that is relevant and progressive and takes into account what residents are looking for beyond new neighborhoods. What does density look like in our downtown? Where will the industrial and commercial business corridor be? How will that growth be paid for and what money will it generate? All things that I see as being missed in recent years but so important for us to progress. This is why I would cast my second vote.
Hugs and Kisses — Our city could not be more divided between the council and the mayors office, which has hurt us deeply in recent years. We need to mend those relationships and a leader that knows how to work alongside different opinions with thick skin and a laser focus on building our community. We need leaders that see our community members as assets and brings them together for ideas and strategy but has a plan to follow through beyond that. We have a city with the most successful business people, residents that care about the culture and heritage as well as businesses that want to locate and invest where the action is. But without some sort of kumbaya we are not going to get anywhere. If you are running because you don’t like someone you probably are in it for the wrong reason, but if you are running because you don’t like the vibe in recent years and think you can bring a positivity to these roles and build on what is already begun, lets go. We need that. Someone who hears the community as a whole. This is why I would cast my third vote.
I have worked with many of our local politicians and as I have spent the last 15 years focusing my business on Westfield and promoting it, I would say I have a fairly good measure of what’s going on. I don’t like it and want to be part of the solution. We can all point fingers and dwell on the past but this next election can give us a fresh start and a picture of what Westfield the Bestfield can be to its residents, visitors and businesses. We don’t need personal agendas to get in the way or over politicking our processes but instead real deal makers and real planning that is working side by side to create something special. I don’t think many citizens can disagree with the negative impact our recent years have had and I believe citizens, especially Bill Kirsch see more promising days ahead and a way out. That starts with voting smart and voting often. Engage and ask questions. Then volunteer and be a part of the long term community that so many people are working hard to create.