Copyright MassLive
CHICOPEE — Incumbent Susan Goff faces an opponent for her seat on the City Council. Meet Darrin Breault, a newcomer with volunteer work experience who hopes to be a transparent, accountable and effective leader. Breault said he thinks his work experience has qualified him to “listen and react” to constituent concerns. Ahead of Tuesday, Nov. 4, The Republican reached out to all candidates for the opposed City Council and School Committee seats to answer a short questionnaire. Each council candidate was asked the same four questions. A different set of four identical questions was sent to the candidates for School Committee. Over the next several days, The Republican will be publishing the candidates’ answers to the questions in print. Find more candidates and responses at masslive.com/topic/election. Name: Darrin Breault Age: The candidate did respond to a request to answer this question. Address: The candidate did respond to a request to answer this question. Profession: Small business owner; adult student in college Position Running For: Ward 3 city councilor Introductory statement: I’ve been living in Chicopee for all of my adult life. The city has given a lot to me, and I relish the opportunity to give something back. I think the government, particularly at the local level, has an obligation to be responsive to the needs of those it is intended to serve, so the most important attributes I can focus on are transparency, accountability and being effective. As someone with experience in volunteer work, I believe I’m particularly qualified to listen and react. There are people in our constituency who feel that our city doesn’t communicate with them. If I’m given the chance to serve, I’ll make sure to be accessible in a way that your concerns and ideas always have a voice on the City Council. Question #1: What is the biggest problem in the city and how would you address it? I hear from constituents that we have glaring issues with road maintenance and traffic safety, among other things. Potholes and other damaged roads are a real issue, and there’s a need to enforce speeding limits. I propose putting together a task force dedicated specifically to researching these issues with a tip line to aid in getting them acknowledged and resolved more quickly. Even if that “tip line” is just me! Question #2: The City Council always struggles to keep taxes low while providing needed services and making advancements. How specifically will you balance the three? Let’s begin by prioritizing the services needed by the least fortunate among us to help get them back on track. Research shows that when you give someone in need a leg up, it enables them to do better for themselves and make a stronger economic contribution through taxes and spending. This will help raise overall revenue that will lead to advancements for everyone. Question #3: The housing crisis continues to take a toll on residents and those who want to move to the city. How should the city attack the problem? We have a real issue with homelessness in the city. Some people have been priced out of being able to live anywhere. I think we should be investing in more low-income housing, first by converting buildings that aren’t being used, and through creating new spaces in targeted zones where the population is high. We should also explore the option for rent-controlled units, limiting rent increases by no more than 5% annually. Question #4: What types of development would you like to attract to the city and how would you do it? The reinvention of our small business sector in Chicopee Center is key. I still see more shuttered businesses than I would like. But we also have other needs. Massachusetts in general is lacking in doctors and nurses, for instance; that impacts care. So let’s offer incentives for these medical professionals to live and work in and around our city. The best developments focus on what could provide the greatest benefits to the population, and benefits don’t always have to be economic. I would add one final thing. Regardless of who you support, please vote, vote, vote. It’s the most important, most precious resource you have as a citizen. Yet for a long time, voter turnout at the local level has been abysmally low. Let’s all do something to change that.
