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Brooks takes grassroots approach to mayoral campaign

Date: 8/25/2009

By G. Michael Dobbs

Managing Editor



CHICOPEE -- As the summer winds down and the municipal election draws closer, City Council Vice President Shane Brooks has started a series of meet and greet events throughout the city to convey his message to voters and to hear their concerns.

Brooks is challenging Mayor Michael Bissonnette. Brooks has been on the City Council for four years and was a member of the School Committee for six years. He works as the director of residential housing for the May Institute, a non-profit organization that provides services to children and adults with autism, brain injury, mental retardation, pervasive developmental disorder and behavioral healthcare needs.

Brooks has met with voters three times and intends to have a series of 11 or 12 events that are hosted in the homes of supporters. In what Brooks described as " no holds barred open forums," much of what voters have asked about concerned the city's economic health.

"A lot of the questions are about the budget," Brooks said.

Voters, he added, are worried about how cuts in Chicopee's budgets will affect layoffs of city personnel.

What Brooks hopes to do in the meetings is express his message of the need to prioritize the city's bonding activities.

"We can't borrow or bond for everything," he said. "We can't make everyone happy."

He said the response to that message has been positive, but added there have been criticisms from voters concerning city government. He is appreciative of the give and take and the opportunity to hear what people think.

Brooks said that if he were elected, he would have three major development priorities. The most important ones are to develop a new public safety complex and to renovate the former Chicopee High School into a new middle school. The third is to build a new senior center.

He added he would encourage the use of the economic model used to build the new library on Front Street -- a combination of private donations and public money -- for the senior center.

His short list of projects reflects his caution about the state of the economy.

"I don't know in this economy what we can afford right now," Brooks said.

He said that Chicopee is a working class community with "people who work hard and are proud of what they have."

Voters with whom he has talked are concerned about property taxes and water rates and Brooks said he is in favor of looking into a local option meal and hotel tax to help reduce the dependence on the property tax.

He believes that current predictions on the amount the local option taxes would raise are "high."

"I would take a conservative approach," he said.

The development of the Uniroyal/Facemate properties may be a "hot topic" for some in the city, but would "be on the backburner in my mind," he said.

Brooks believes the property is worth about $70 million, but would take $160 million to prepare it for development. He is concerned there is not enough grant money to cover the costs of the property's remediation and added, "It is irresponsible to say that no local dollars would be in play."

The next meeting will be at 62 Mount Royal St. at 6:30 p.m. Aug. 26.