City Councilors give back funds to Westfield treasury
Date: 8/25/2009
By Katelyn Gendron
Reminder Assistant Editor
WESTFIELD -- Eight City Councilors have put their money where their mouths are during these tight fiscal times by returning $300 of their stipend to the city.
City Councilors Brian Sullivan, Charles Medeiros, Christopher Keefe, Daniel Knapik, David Bannish, Mary O'Connell, Peter Miller and Richard Onofrey Jr. have turned in the funds, according to the City Clerk's office.
"This is in response to a unanimous vote passed by the council for each city councilor to contribute $300 to the city's treasury," O'Connell explained. "I feel this is an [instance] of leading by example and it is important that we, on the City Council, demonstrate that we, while asking others to sacrifice, are also willing to give back a portion of our compensation."
The City Council voted to take no action on Mayor Michael Boulanger's fiscal year 2010 (FY10) $115 million budget in June. The vote passed Boulanger's budget as proposed, without any cuts suggested by the Finance Committee.
The budget pared each department to the bone, slashing expenditures such as funding for personnel, supplies, travel and development partly because of reduced local aid.
"We need to lead by example in these tough fiscal times," Knapik said.
Miller explained that he chose to give back to the city in the spirit of teamwork that will hopefully see the city through this fiscal crisis.
"Every department made sacrifices during the [fiscal year] 2010 budget process whether through contract concessions, positions going unfilled, or through cutbacks in equipment," he said. "This $300 represents the City Council's contribution to these cuts. I think it symbolizes the fact that we're all in this together."
Councilors Christopher Crean, James Adams, Joe Wynn, John Liptak and Nicholas Morganelli could not be reached for comment by press time.