We have some big decisions to make in Ward 1. As Election Day nears, we cannot afford to let important information about the candidates get lost – especially regarding Councilwoman Linda Habgood.

Recently, I spent a Sunday afternoon walking around the neighborhood with Councilwoman Habgood. We didn’t have a list of names with party affiliation, we simply knocked on every door on every street that we canvassed. This is who Linda is as a public servant – eager to talk with ALL residents and explain how she works for ALL of us on the town council every day.

With an MBA from Wharton, Linda built her career in global finance and economic development. In just four years, Linda put these skills to work as our Ward 1 Councilwoman and Chair of the Finance Committee. As some examples, under her leadership, the town:

1. Invested excessive surplus dollars in roads and capital improvements;
2. Decreased average annual municipal spending from 3.46 percent to .72 percent;
3. Secured 3.6 million dollars in grant monies for park and health department improvements;
4. Kept your municipal tax rate almost flat at 1.1 percent average increase over four years;
5. Identified and has been working to collect on over 1.7 million dollars of past due receivables;
6. Identified over one million dollars in a special trust account that was previously used to purchase unnecessary military equipment, and is now used to purchase essential equipment for the Westfield Police Department; and
7. Sold surplus military equipment, including six Humvees, and purchased 24 pieces of new DPW equipment that we can actually use to sweep streets and clear roads of snow and storm debris.

There is no budget or ledger Linda can’t conquer, and as you can see, she’s advanced Westfield’s long-term fiscal stability in the process. And just when you think she’s only savvy with cost savings and shared services, Linda goes and establishes the town’s first mental health council. As a 19-year resident and clinical social worker working in the belly of mental illness, I can’t describe to you how refreshing it is to hear a public servant discuss the stigma of simply ‘needing help’ – but heck yeah, she does it!

I walked away from my day with Linda feeling so lucky and grateful that we have such financial literacy, competency and compassion serving on the town council.

So, I ask you, does Linda share Westfield’s values? Does she work hard for the residents of Westfield? Is she competent? Does she put residents’ needs and wants before her own? YES, indeed she does! And that’s why I hope you’ll join me in voting to re-elect Councilwoman Habgood on November 2!