Copyright MassLive
CHICOPEE — Shane D. Brooks, incumbent councilor for Ward 2 in Chicopee, is seeking reelection. Brooks, who has held a number of elected positions in Chicopee over two decades, is also the vice president of the Gàndara Center in Springfield, which provides behavioral health and substance use prevention services. Ahead of Tuesday, The Republican reached out to all candidates for the opposed City Council seats to answer a short questionnaire. Each council candidate was asked the same four questions. A different set of four identical questions were sent to the candidates for School Committee. Find more candidates and responses in this past week’s print editions and at masslive.com/topic/election. Name: Shane D. Brooks Age: 53 Address: 6 Grandview St. Profession: Vice president of The Gándara Center; Ward 2 city councilor Position running for: Ward 2 City Council Introductory statement: My name is Shane D. Brooks. I have held various elected positions in the city for over 20 years, and I am the current Ward 2 City Councilor. I hold a master’s degree in finance from American International College and serve as the vice president of residential services at the Gándara Center in Springfield, managing a $26 million budget and providing residential supports to youth and adults with varying degrees of mental health and medical challenges. I am also a board member of the Public Health Institute of Western Massachusetts. I believe my formal education and work and volunteer experiences provides me with the needed skill set to continue to serve on the City Council. Question 1: What is the biggest problem in the city and how would you address it? I think two of the biggest challenges are housing and food security. Several areas of the city are in food deserts, where access to fresh food and healthy food choices are not easily accessible. This tends to go hand-in-hand with the lack of affordable housing. I am advocating that the city partner with MassHire to offer free job training to help more city residents get the training needed to get competitive-waged jobs to obtain stable housing. 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? Historically the city has shifted the tax burden from residents to commercial ratepayers, to minimize the impact. The city’s efforts need to focus on additional business development. The city has always been able to maintain city services at a high level. My opponent cited a specific “small business” that I was against, a tow company that was operating illegally on West Street. It is true I am anti “illegal” small businesses, so I am guilty as charged. 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? I think the housing crisis is evident in every urban city and town in the commonwealth. Chicopee, being a Gateway City, is considered an urban center. We have a unique opportunity to anchor the regional economy. Chicopee needs to reinvent itself in the face of considerable economic and social challenges. We need to find developers who are willing to develop affordable housing. Question 4: What types of development would you like to attract to the city and how would you do it? I will continue to strongly advocate for additional business development in the city to help offset the residential tax rates that homeowners experience as home values continue to increase. Without new business development, the prospect of increased property taxes will adversely affect senior homeowners and others who own homes on a fixed income. This can be achieved by aggressively marketing available parcels to new businesses. The newly approved position of economic development director should enhance the City’s ability to do so.
