Our Town challenges

  There is a well-known saying: “If you keep doing the same thing and expect a different result, that’s the definition of insanity.” 

Continuing to operate without a coordinated financial roadmap will likely yield the same challenges year after year.

 The new CAO (town administrator) is trying to address this, but has faced criticism and pushback, as change is never easy.

One of the challenges our community faces is the lack of a comprehensive long-term financial forecast. Unfortunately, we do not appear to have a coordinated financial plan that looks ahead and aligns future needs with our available resources.

Each year, department heads are responsible for submitting five-year projections that identify major capital needs, equipment replacements, and facility requirements. These plans are intended to guide long-term planning and to help the town prepare for upcoming expenses. However,  these projections appear not to have been incorporated into an overall financial strategy.

Without a structured financial forecast, important factors such as bond expirations, capital replacement cycles, and future operational costs are not being aligned in a way that allows the town to plan responsibly. As a result, we often find ourselves reacting to needs rather than preparing for them.

Moving forward, we need to let department heads run their departments, not have officials cut $100 here and there; that is self-serving foolishness.  It would benefit the town to develop a multi-year financial plan that incorporates departmental forecasts, capital needs, debt schedules, and anticipated revenue. Doing so would allow us to make more strategic decisions, stabilize budgeting, and better serve our residents.

   Nobody likes new taxes, but remember, as presented, this is not an additional tax; it's an offset. So any monies received are applied to the tax base, not added to it. So in effect, taxpayers could see relief from the meals tax in their property tax, not an additional cost.  

But Southwick has clearly become a destination for many. They may be passing through town, attending a baseball game at Whalley Park, visiting the motocross track, enjoying the lakes, or stopping during a Sunday motorcycle ride. In 2022, the state recorded that people spent just under $1.3 million at Southwick restaurants and food establishments. 

We wanted to give Southwick taxpayers the option to take advantage of this opportunity to help offset local property taxes. 

Background

 From the MA Department of Revenue

  For the town of Southwick, in FY2022, there were 42 establishments, and state meals tax collections totaled $1,374,082.09. Our high/ low estimate for Southwick was $124,700 to $164,900.  

Today, there are 31 establishments; adjusting proportionally would forecast $94,275-$123,675 in meals tax. 

You and the town meeting process will decide - not the Select Board.

 Our Economic Development Department has brought this up numerous times.  A local meals tax allows the town to capture revenue from many of those visitors who use our roads and other services while they are here. In small towns like Southwick, property taxes bear the bulk of the cost of town services. 

A meals tax option helps diversify revenue so residents are not the only ones supporting the tax burden. 

The tax itself is — 0.75% on a meal.

• A $4 coffee would be about 3 cents.
• A $100 restaurant meal would be 75 cents.

Because the cost is spread across many meals and many people — many visitors — it can generate meaningful revenue for the town while having minimal impact on any individual purchase or residents. Most surrounding communities already have this tax in place. Not adopting it means Southwick is leaving potential revenue on the table. The impact on individual residents is minimal, but the combined revenue can help support town services and reduce pressure on property taxes. 

Local Towns With Meals Tax 

 Of 352 towns, 267 have a meals tax. locally Agawam, Westfield, Chicopee, Holyoke, West Springfield, Ludlow, Longmeadow, East Longmeadow, Springfield.
In Connecticut, meals taxes apply in every town statewide, but the revenue goes to the state.
Keep in mind that the state-supplied numbers are 2022 post-COVID.

NOTE: The MA restaurant association indicates total restaurant sales have increased 25%  in total sales statewide from 2022 - 2025 

What about the future? Should the economy improve, we would see greater opportunity.  

The major buildout was voted down last year, to the frustration of many. 

However, previously approved funds have allowed a small buildout to proceed.  The initial stages, permitting, etc., have begun. 

Focused mainly on the center of town and population densities, it will serve as a good test case to gauge its acceptance and an accurate financial forecast for future build-outs. 

Stay tuned for more to come.

   The Sam West Road/Hudson Drive area continues to develop as an important industrial corridor for the town. This location represents a prime opportunity for business growth with minimal impact on residential neighborhoods. Continued development in this area will increase tax revenues and provide a positive financial benefit to the entire community.

While projects such as solar fields may seem attractive, they do little to support other local businesses or create sustained economic activity. Our focus remains on encouraging development that strengthens our local economy and supports long-term growth.

For this reason, the town has expanded the Town Planner position. Streamlining and expediting the planning process helps demonstrate that we are a business-friendly community. When businesses can navigate the permitting process efficiently, it's a win-win for both the developer and the town.

Supporting responsible economic development remains one of the board’s highest priorities. Our goal is to position the town to benefit from manufacturing and industrial growth while ensuring development occurs in appropriate locations.

Cannabis facilities are also contributing to this growth. One facility is currently open, another is expected to open soon, and an expansion that may include outdoor growing and manufacturing operations is planned. The town receives a 3% local revenue share on all cannabis sales. 

This represents new revenue and helps strengthen the town’s financial position.

When our local businesses succeed, the entire town benefits.

 Change Is Never Easy

A year later, it is clear that many remain reluctant to change severely outdated systems. We have invested in new software, but have yet to implement it. 

Modernizing these systems is not about change for the sake of change. It is about better use of taxpayer dollars.  It is about working smarter, reducing wasted time, and improving accuracy, which translates to efficiency. 

We remain diligent in moving this forward, but it has been painfully challenging. 

Our transfer station is another area we can't seem to move forward on.  We have all seen cars in there dumping with no stickers. Attendants do catch people, but they can't be everywhere. We need a better system. Every unauthorised user is taking money out of all of our pockets.  The board has failed to move forward on this. 

  Yep, it exists in Southwick and is unfortunate.  

When I ran for office, I had no agenda, and I still have none now, other than doing what is right for our town. Neither my family nor I have contracts with the town, unlike some who are often the quickest to cast accusations. 

My family’s roots here run deep. My grandfather farmed this land and raised cows. My grandmother was one of the first phone operators in town. My father served this community in many ways: on local boards, with the highway department, coaching youth sports, and through the volunteer fire department as a firefighter, officer, and ultimately commissioner while working a separate career. That commitment to service did not stop with his generation. My brother, my family, and I have continued that legacy because we care deeply about this community and the people who call it home.

When I returned to serve as Fire Chief for 7 years during a transitional period, I wanted to help move the department forward and strengthen it for the future. I later stepped in as interim Facilities Manager when asked and served as Emergency Manager for a time for the same reason: to help where I was needed. My wife has also devoted her life to public service, having served on two fire departments, as a reserve police officer, in administrative roles on two Boards of Health and the Select Board, and as an elected member of the School Committee, and now as Senior Center Director and Cemetery Sexton.

Some people, especially the so-called Facebook warriors, want to twist family service in a small town into something improper. The truth is exactly the opposite. These are not positions people take to get rich. In many cases, the private sector would pay far more for the time, effort, responsibility, and dedication these roles require. We do this work because we believe in giving back, in meeting the needs of our residents, and in leaving these positions better than we found them.

The results speak for themselves. The fire department improved its response to better meet the community's needs. The Senior Center continues to grow in membership and participation. People frequently say the cemetery has never looked better, and that's thanks to progressive ideas and people who genuinely care. 

That is what service looks like.

There are always those who want to create a false narrative of favoritism or malfeasance, and who have axes to grind and seek retaliation. But our family’s years of service have always been under scrutiny, and we have a long history of operating with transparency, accountability, and, when appropriate, guidance from the State Ethics Commission. We have never been afraid of doing things the right way.

Strong family values mean showing up, working hard, serving honestly, and caring enough to make your community better. That is what we have done for generations, and we will continue to do.

We will continue to serve with integrity, commitment, and pride in the town that has meant so much to us for so many years.