After nearly a year of preparation, and just a few short months since 17 South Berkshire communities came together in an historic Community Compact signing, we are starting to see some successful outcomes.
As community leaders we have to be willing to have a serious conversation about our region’s financial stability, and sustainability, as well as how can we best streamline and enhance the services that our taxpayers have grown to expect with their hard-earned dollars.
Collective action will provide collective success.
When this conversation started I had three goals in mind.
1: Maintain each town’s unique identity.
2: Enhance services for residents, provide greater efficiencies.
3: Provide taxpayer relief.
I still see these as laudable and achievable goals when leaders lead, not only for today but for the next generation.
Let’s look at the facts. The Berkshires are shrinking in population while we are aging at the same time. Our economic base is changing. The paper industry of yesterday is a shell of its former self. General Electric, Sprague Electric, Rising Mill are no longer here and the 11 paper mills that once made up Mill River have long been gone. Companies like the Chamberlain Group, Iredale Cosmetics, Onyx Paper along with the creative economy have been — and will continue — to provide quality jobs for years to come. Sabic, sadly, has decided to relocate to Houston while General Dynamics continues to grow. Our travel and tourism, the economic engine, continues to grow with investments of tens of millions of dollars into the area. Much more work needs to be done to make our beautiful Berkshire region more of a year-round destination but we are seeing greater energy and collaboration across town lines to achieve that objective.
When skeptics tell me “talk is cheap,” I’m quick to let them know that “it’s cheap to talk,” and when we at least have the conversation we realize that our concerns really are not that different and that by working together we can achieve great things.
In Southern Berkshire alone we are starting to have wonderful success by sharing a school superintendent across districts and more ongoing conversations ongoing about sharing other services. When Lee and Lenox got together to share a building inspector’s office, some said it wouldn’t work. When the Selectman from both of those communities agreed to give it a try and when the building inspector himself said it was the right thing to do, it proved all the skeptics wrong. This has proven to be a huge success and services have been enhanced for both towns.
These conversations, along with many others, have led to small towns floating the possibility of sharing clerks, financial managers, planners and public safety personnel and other operations.
Recently, I have filed legislation that would clarify State Ethics Laws and pave the way for the possibility of a shared manager with the towns of Stockbridge, Lee and Lenox. For people who don’t believe this makes sense, let’s look at the facts again. The going rate to hire a qualified and experienced Town Manager/Administrator is over $100,000 per year plus benefits. If we take a look at the town budgets of these three towns combined you will see a budget of over $60 million. If we don’t look to enhance services and save taxpayer money we will be collectively spending nearly $400,000 on salaries and benefits across three towns totaling less that 14,000 citizens.
In an effort to put this in perspective all you have to do is look at the city of Pittsfield. The Berkshires capitol city with 42,000 residents and a total budget of $150 million pays its Mayor/CEO less than $90,000 per year. The governor of our Commonwealth with a budget of nearly $40 Billion is paid $150,000 per year.
Our towns’ needs and expectations have grown to a point where we need to hire “CEO’s” to run our communities efficiently while leading the way to make the services we’ve come to expect more affordable. The time is now for the leaders of these three towns, and others, to continue the conversation. Remember, though, action — not just conversation — is what’s needed now. The Town Administrator in Stockbridge has already retired, the Town Administrator in Lee has already given notice that he intends to retire next year.
When I read comments from people who express concerns that they won’t see the “CEO” on a regular basis I feel that’s just an excuse to maintain the status quo. When you see a policeman on the street, do you feel less safe when it’s not the chief? When you visit a local hospital, do you feel the services you received weren’t adequate because the “CEO” didn’t touch base with you? When you go into your local bank do you believe that your money is secure even though you didn’t get to talk to the “CEO”?
Looking to the future will allow our beautiful area to grow, prosper and be attractive for the next generation of Berkshire residents. Our future filled with enhanced services at affordable rates while maintaining our independence is in our hands now. It’s time to, not only think differently, but act differently.
Let’s lead and let’s not miss out.
