The candidates for mayor of Westfield, Massachusetts, clashed over what to do with a million dollar budget surplus. The issue came up in a debate on WWLP.
City Council president and mayoral candidate Brian Sullivan says there’s plenty of money in the city’s free cash account — and more coming.
“I made a promise and I will stick to that promise that it’s about time some of that money went back to the ratepayers to help with the tax rate, ” Sullivan said.
Candidate Michael Roeder challenged the reality of Sullivan’s plan, asking, “What bills would have to be paid before you could give that one million dollars to the taxpayers? Because you said all bills would have to be paid first.”
Roeder ran for mayor in 2013, losing to Mayor Daniel Knapik, who decided not run again this year.