Andrew Mullen, left, and Michael McCabe, right
Reminder Publishing submitted photo
WESTFIELD — When Westfield residents head to the polls on Nov. 4, they will decide between two candidates for mayor, incumbent Michael McCabe who is seeking a third consecutive term or Andrew Mullen, who ran unsuccessfully for mayor in 2019 and the School Committee in 2023.
Reminder Publishing asked both candidates the same questions. These are their responses.
Reminder Publishing: Why are you running for election/relection?
McCabe: I want to continue the progress we’ve made in Westfield. During my time as mayor, we’ve opened a new elementary school and are in the middle of building new athletic fields at WHS. We are in the design phase of the much-needed new police station and have begun renovations at the Armbrook and Powdermill Brook Dams to secure our flood zones.
I’ve also advocated at the state level to secure increased Chapter 90 funding for road and infrastructure improvements, which was achieved this year. The Exit 41 improvement project is now in the planning phase with full funding from MassDOT, and the arrival of the F-35 at Barnes in 2026 will help maintain the base’s role as a key part of our local economy. I am seeking reelection so I can see these projects completed and to keep building a strong, stable and successful future for Westfield.
Mullen: I’m running because I would like to see more transparency and openness in our government. We have become so divided that we forget that we agree on 80% of things. We want our families to be safe, our children taken care of, our seniors looked after and life to become less chaotic. While I can’t or wouldn’t promise that I can fix the chaos, maybe I can help bring a new perspective and help people see the good in their neighbor again.
RP: What do you see as the biggest challenge or challenges facing the future of the city?
Mullen: Our unhoused population having nowhere to turn and children in one of the wealthiest cities in the state going hungry. I also believe that reliable transportation is a fundamental necessity and would work to bring more public transit stops and routes to the city.
McCabe: Economic development, housing, and balancing a municipal budget with rising costs and regulations are the three biggest challenges. Our location at the intersection at major highways within 120 miles of major cities attracts developers, but most of the available land sits on the aquifer. We also continue to address heavy traffic in that same area. The city has presented a plan to MassDOT, and received some support, so we have to keep advocating for solutions that would balance growth and accessibility with protecting our resources and reducing road congestion.
Like most municipalities, residential growth and affordable housing are critical challenges that affect our most vulnerable residents. We continue to seek creative solutions in a very tight market. Budgeting for health care for our employees amidst unpredictable costs is another key challenge. Last year alone, we saw a 36% increase, translating to $4.6 million in unplanned expenses. Managing these fluctuations while maintaining essential services is an ongoing concern.
RP: What do you consider the strengths of the city?
McCabe: Our citizens. Westfield has a strong sense of community made up of the residents, business owners, community partners and the amenities that support a high quality of life. We are a family-friendly city, with good schools, wonderful opportunities for children to learn and grow outside of school, whether through youth sports, dance, our local Boys and Girls Club or the YMCA, Scouts, and the programs offered by the Parks and Rec Department. We have a vibrant Council on Aging that is the hub of activity for so many of our seniors. We have robust volunteer organizations that help keep our watershed clean, distribute meals to our food insecure, bring people together through entertainment and cultural events, and who make our open spaces beautiful and active. Our residents take part in our governance by engaging in public meetings and volunteering on boards and commissions.
We really do live in a tight-knit and caring community, which is the backbone of any city.
Mullen: The ability of this city to come together as a community. I remember a time not so long ago when downtown looked a bit more like a bustling shopping area. I believe parking and the high cost of taxes on these locally owned businesses is the primary reason so many have to shutter their doors. I would like to work to find a way to help these small businesses thrive and help someone live the elusive American dream.
RP: The DPW and Fire Department were reviewed by outside firms to determine if they were being run efficiently and effectively. Both outside firms reported the departments were well run and for the most part had the equipment needed to serve city residents. But both reviews said each department needed more manpower. While the Police Department hasn’t been reviewed, hiring and retaining new officers has been a challenge. What are the challenges to increase the manpower at each department?
Mullen: I think accountability and transparency are again an important aspect of this issue. I believe that police officers, paramedics, and firefighters truly put their lives on the line whenever they punch that clock. Which is a big reason I would work to get body cameras on all officers for their safety and ours. I heard some truly disturbing things when asking the citizens of Westfield what was most important to them and they had stories about our local police. Body cameras would root out any systemic issues that may also be holding us back from quality recruits staying past training.
McCabe: Cost is the biggest factor but not the only factor. Police and fire personnel costs are around $80,000 per new hire. So, increasing those departments come with significant cash considerations. In 2022, I added two police officers to the police department. In general, our costs and, just as important, our benefits are very competitive. The challenge is also that our police and paramedics feel undervalued. There has been a substantial anti-police campaign that has been ongoing for the past decade and the number of higher-ed candidates who are choosing criminal justice has decreased. We have also learned that the Fire Department has some opportunities to foster a more cohesive work environment that we are looking into with its leadership. There is a perception that commercial growth is slowing in the city, which has led to levying additional taxes on commercial and residential properties.
RP: What can be done to address that? What are new sources of revenue the city might pursue?
McCabe: Commercial growth has slowed, and balancing development with environmental protection remains a key challenge. Our aquifer must be safeguarded, so we must be judicial in the businesses we welcome. There is potential for responsible growth on the 75 acres of former farmland near Cabot Road and Westfield Turnpike Industrial Road recently approved for development by the Massachusetts Environmental Protection Agency.
We’ve are currently seeking assistance from the Western Mass Development Group and the Economic Development Council to help attract interest in the location. At the same time, our Community Development Office is advancing a Riverfront Development Plan to revitalize the Great River Bridges area, and we’re working with the Executive Office of Housing and Livable Communities to identify new housing opportunities.
Mullen: I think I spoke on this briefly before, I believe a lack of public transportation and a lack of tax incentives for locally owned businesses is a large part of the problem and I would make it a priority to see what can be done to help.
RP: What is your vision for downtown?
Mullen: My vision for downtown is more community events and engagement. I think we would be a better and richer community if we came together once in a while. Forget who you voted for, don’t care how the person next to you voted. Even if only for a few hours.
McCabe: Since COVID, we have experienced a resurgence of small businesses in the city. Those businesses are well supported, and all but one of the storefronts on East Main Street, Main Street, and Elm Street are occupied and include restaurants and cafés offering a variety of cuisines and ambience, as well as boutique style retail stores.
Our designation as a Cultural District during my second term in November of 2024 has served as a catalyst for funding opportunities to enhance vitality within the city. Seizing on this momentum, wehave created a coalition of business owners, volunteer organizations and other stakeholders to rejuvenate the downtown corridor, which is now connected to the natural beauty of our open spaces via the latest leg of the rail trail, which was completed in 2023. These collaborations and interconnections strengthen the city’s cultural identity as a community driven downtown where people gather for entertainment and local flavor.
RP: How do you balance business with the environment, using the effort made by residents to oppose the proposed Battery Energy Storage System as an example?
McCabe: As indicated, there is a delicate balance between commercial and environmental concerns. The BESS issue came down to public safety in an industry that is not yet as safe as we would like it to be. Its proposed location was over the aquifer and the track record of fires at BESS sites presented a risk we could not take. Any time there is a possible threat to our resources, we must look closely at all the factors. We approach new investment proposals with the same vetting process we used with the BESS. We work with investors and the public, provide opportunities to have business, government and community voices heard throughout the process. For the BESS proposal, that process worked. Together we decided what was in the best interest of all involved at that location.
Mullen: I believe battery storage is the next natural progression in our work to help ou environment. I do think that placement is pivotal and that we need to be smart about how we handle the next steps.
McCabe, 63, earned bachelor’s and master’s degrees from Westfield State University and before becoming mayor in 2022, spent 36 years with the Westfield Police Department and, before that, seven years at Family Pizza.
Mullen, 39, graduated from Westfield High School in 2004 and attended Holyoke Community College. He currently works for Trinity Total Home, and enjoys playing hockey and spending time with his son Aiden and their dog Henry.
