ISSUES

We all want safe water, schools, neighborhoods and roads. We certainly pay enough taxes and fees, So what’s the problem?

Despite a 43 billion dollar budget and billion dollar surpluses in many years, state government has not restored Local Aid (The Lottery Fund) The state passed an 18 billion dollar transportation bond bill, but only allocates 200 million dollars per year to cities and towns for road maintenance. Along with unfunded mandates, this strains local budgets and leads to reductions in service and increasing property taxes.

  Dan introduced and passed the Abutter Notification Ordinance, rewrote the Fire Pit Ordinance to protect residents from excessive fines and voted to dissolve the Business Improvement District (BID) that unfairly burdened small downtown businesses. He voted against increasing the Meals Tax and led the effort to defeat the Complete Streets Program, which took control away from local officials while adding costs to public and private projects.

  Dan led local effort and ballot drives to:

• Repeal Automatic Gas Tax increases, saving Massachusetts

drivers over 2 billion dollars.

• Increase Local Aid and funding for road maintenance.

In 2015, Governor Baker restored 100 million dollars in road funding, with Westfield receiving $660,000.

• End Common Core and PARCC Testing.

• Dan led successful effort to defeat ballot question seeking to extend the term of Mayor to 4 years.

• Dan voted to reduce spending in city budgets by over 6 million dollars. 2017 was the first time in 9 years that property taxes in Westfield did not increase.

• Clean Water – Dan believes that Westfield residents did not cause the problem and should not have to pay to clean it up the mess. He voted against the bond insisting the City have something in writing that a permanent facility could be reimbursed, and that Westfield should consider alternative sources of water.

Dan's Priorities are:

• Improve Education and restore local control to parents, teachers and school boards.

• Provide more funding for Roads and Infrastructure

With a 43 billion dollar budget and billion dollars surpluses in many years, the state has the resources to help cities make critical investments in basic infrastructure.

• Transparent and Accountable Government 

As City Councilor, Dan supported recording subcommittee meetings so people could see and hear meetings. Dan worked to inform residents of important issues and votes. Too much goes on without the public being aware or involved. Boston is so out of balance many items are passed on voice votes, with no record of how our legislators voted.

• Dan led on the effort to Oppose Governor Baker’s Carbon Tax.