Town government stable, secure under leadership

Date: 3/17/2010

March 17, 2010.

By Katelyn Gendron

Reminder Assistant Editor



AGAWAM -- Mayor Richard Cohen will not be delivering a state of the city address this month but by all accounts, town government is running smoothly.

Cohen told Reminder Publications he would not deliver an address because of his absence from office last year; however, he said he is working diligently with town employees to ensure the long-term viability of jobs and services in the upcoming fiscal year.

"There are so many unanswered questions because we rely so much on state and federal funding," Cohen said of planning for the fiscal year 2011 (FY11) budget. "Hopefully we get level-funding from last year."

Cohen said he's asked each department head to prepare a level-funded budget.

"It's too early to talk about the possibility of personnel reductions," he cautioned. "I'm working hard to do the things that I think that are necessary to keep our community stable, while still being financially conservative in an effort to keep everyone employed and provide the services that are necessary."

Cohen said he's also focused on economic development and revitalization of properties such as the former Food Mart Plaza and Tennis Road.

Another top priority, he added, is formulating the Capital Improvement Plan for the town's facilities and infrastructure. "We're looking at long-range usage and needs," Cohen explained of the process.

He said the first few months of his new mayoral term have been like a homecoming as well as a collaborative effort on his behalf with town employees.

"We're all working together to look at what our needs are [and how to meet them]," Cohen added.