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Date: 5/24/2023
EAST LONGMEADOW — On June 6, East Longmeadow voters will be able to stay the course with incumbents on the Town Council and School Committee, while also adding new members to those offices.
Both candidates for Town Council have experience in municipal government. Councilor Marilyn Richards, an incumbent, has served on the Town Council since being appointed to a vacancy in 2019 and elected the following year. She called her time on the council “the highlight of my tenure in community service.”
In the past, Richards served on the Planning Board, and before East Longmeadow changed its form of government, was a member of the Select Board.
Richards said she has gained insight into specific needs of the town as a member of the Planning Matters Subcommittee, the Bylaw Review Subcommittee, the Town Manager Performance Evaluation Subcommittee and the Town Manager Contract Negotiation Subcommittee.
“I learned early on, the value of research and thorough study of whatever action is being considered,” Richards said. “I take pride in my work, am willing to work hard and absolutely love what I am able to do for the residents of East Longmeadow.”
Jonathan Torcia also has years of experience in town government, including seats on the Planning Board and Community Preservation Committee. However, he said he also has had other experiences that will be of use on the Town Council.
“What I bring to the table is a fresh perspective combined with existing experience in municipal affairs,” Torcia said. “My professional experience includes working in a personnel and administrative capacity that has given me the opportunity to work with many different types of individuals and determine where best their talents can be served in my role within state government. I have a working knowledge of not only our municipal government but also state government that would be an asset in advocating for the community.”
Torcia said he believes his presence on the council would help ensure community stakeholders’ “needs are addressed and that we are making major decisions in a deliberate and careful manner.”
One of the responsibilities of the Town Council will be to help choose the next town manager.
Richards said that she is looking for a candidate with “the skills to build a network of collaborative relationships with employees and town residents by being approachable, responsive, and an active listener.”
Additionally, Richards said she will be looking for communication skills, “a proven work ethic,” and experience with municipal budgets and grant writing. “Finally, I see the town manager as the ambassador of the town, someone who strives to advocate for our employees and our community, one who has a finger on the ‘pulse of East Longmeadow.’”
For Torcia, the role of town manager requires “strong interpersonal skills.” Team-building experience and adaptability are important, as is “being able to take constructive criticism.” Financially, he said the right person will have “a clear understanding of large-scale budgets,” and be able to be able to balance the community’s needs with fiscal responsibility.”
Whichever candidate is elected to the council will have their hands full in the next year.
“The challenges [of running the town] are daunting with the ever-increasing cost of doing business and potential risk to the taxpayers, who are finding it increasingly difficult to meet these tax increases,” Richard said.
With that in mind, Richards identified “the need for a new high school, which will require a substantial investment on the part of the taxpayer,” as a substantial issue for the town to tackle in the next 12 months. “Our students deserve a safe school and environment that promotes educational excellence.
Regardless of what decision the town will make going forward, there will still be significant expense in addressing a solution for the high school.”
In the years ahead, the elementary schools, roads and emergency services will need to be addressed, as well, she said.
Torcia also said he sees the town manager search and the high school as the two most pressing needs for the town’s immediate future.
“As a recent graduate, I’m very much aware of the shortcomings of the existing high school and the limitations in what it can offer the students in our community,” Torcia said. “I, like other residents in the community, would like to see what the final price tag will be to the community, weighing all the factors,” but he added, “Regardless of what the final decision is, we must be committed to strengthening and continue to offer high quality education for the families and student.”
School Committee
Incumbent GregoryThompson is seeking re-election to continue serving on the School Committee, while and Kate Leydon is looking to fill the seat left vacant by the departure of Elizabeth Marsian Boucher, who is not running for reelection. Leydon touted her “20-plus years of educational experience as both a classroom teacher and administrative leader” as beneficial to the committee.
“Throughout my career, my priority has been to support students and teachers in the classrooms. My decisions are based on how to best allocate curriculum and staffing resources, as well as fostering a safe and nurturing atmosphere that is conducive to student success,” Leydon said. These skills create “high staff morale, which in turn leads to higher personnel retention and offers the ability to attract a well-qualified faculty, providing exceptional instruction for our students,” she said.
Leydon said, “soliciting different perspectives and ideas” and “building an inclusive culture” are key.
Leydon said she is “optimistic” about the new East Longmeadow High School funding vote in November. She called the project “critical” to the town’s future and said maintaining the existing building would be a financial burden, while a 21st-century school would be an “economic development driver for our town.
“The new high school is essential for providing a 21st century education. Failure to do so will not allow us to compete with neighboring towns in attracting and retaining families,”she said. “A new building will provide a safe and healthy learning environment, as well as being an economic development driver for our town.”
Whichever path voters choose, Leydon said, “I envision the School Committee continuing to advocate for adequate funding for our classrooms, provide a modern and world class curriculum, while continuing to attract and retain highly qualified teachers.”
Other topics that Leydon hopes to tackle include “monitoring and assisting to achieve the district’s SMART Goals and aligning the department’s budget to meet those priorities.”
New curricula have recently been implemented, and Leydon said, “As a School Committee, we will need to closely monitor the district’s data collection and goal achievement in order to make informed data-driven decisions, implement necessary interventions, address any achievement gaps, and reallocate necessary resources to address these issues.”
She also noted that as the Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief funding that schools received to combat COVID-19 costs expires, the school department must get creative in how it funds resources and make “well-informed decisions to address ongoing student educational and emotional needs.”