On The Record
Clear actions. Measurable results.
A transparent record of service.
Delivering Real Results
Over the past three years, Mike has made local government more transparent, more efficient, and more responsive to residents. This work has strengthened how decisions are made, how information is shared, and how the town plans for the future.
Curtailed last-minute agenda changes
- Amendments to agendas have been dramatically reduced, and limited to administrative or essential changes if occurring within 48 hours of the meeting. This change in practice has helped to ensure that residents have clear and reliable access to items that will be discussed by the board.
Improved how meeting records are created and shared
Introduced tools and processes that strengthened documentation and accessibility.
Addressed gaps in historical records
Advanced efforts to organize and update past meeting minutes.
Supported town-wide administrative updates
Helped guide implementation following the voter-approved name change from Board of Selectmen to Select Board.
Advanced a more structured appointment process
Advanced development of a formal policy to guide board and committee appointments.
Expanded recruitment to key boards
Brought in qualified and diverse applicants to boards including Finance and Building Utilization.
Strengthened budget oversight across departments
Established a 3-year budget-to-actual analysis process now in use town-wide.
Identified $150,000 in savings
Improved efficiency without reducing services.
Advanced long-term financial planning
Strengthened transparency and created a more sustainable budget process.
What This Work Means
This work reflects a steady, disciplined approach to leadership, focused on transparency, informed decision-making, and long-term stability.
The priority has been clear: strengthen how the town operates today while building a foundation for the future.
Frequently Asked Questions
Clear answers to common questions about the work and results outlined above.
According to the Massachusetts Select Board Association of MMA, “the Board of Selectmen (or Select Board) operates as a collective decision making body”, more specifically they describe this body as the “…group in town that sets the strategic direction, coordinates activities of other boards, and hears appeals and resolves problems that have not been settled at lower levels”. Mike sees this being completed primarily through the drafting of policies to provide guidance to the Town Administrator and departments, through the budget process to provide financial support based on town priorites, and to offer guidance on various topics that come before the board throughout the year.
Wilbraham is facing 3 significant general issues. First is the aging infrastructure and a long-term practice of deferred maintenance. Memorial school is a perfect example, since 2015, we have put almost no money into Memorial School for general maintenance - instead allowing Parks and Recreation to occupy it and provide minimal investments to it while we “figure out what we want to do with it”; in addition we have the middle school which is currently working its way through a Massachusetts School Building Authority CORE program application for review and assistance in options moving forward.
Second, Wilbraham continues to fall short of the State mandated affordable housing minimum of 10%. We currently reside at 5.62%. Older adults cannot keep up with the cost of living in their lifelong homes, yet there is no more affordable option for them to downsize. Young families and individuals looking to relocate to Wilbraham are then priced out due to limited housing stock on the market. Wilbraham does not have a significant amount of growth available to it for new homes; the population has remained largely stagnant since the 1970s and we have seen less than a 2% growth in single family parcels from 2017-2026.
Third, the Town of Wilbraham and the Hampden Wilbraham Regional School District continue to face rising costs in operations from cost centers such as health insurance, unfunded liabilities like employee pensions and retirement benefits, future capital projects, and reduced state and federal aid which have remained level or diminished over the last several years to a decade.
I have witnessed over the last three years what can be achieved by a community that comes together - neighbor to neighbor - to build a stronger foundation for the future. I look forward to working with each of you over the next three years to address the issues we face.
Click here to view Mike’s response to this question as posted on his facebook page.
Mike’s suggestion was that the town consider using the $500,000 to reduce it’s long-term liabilities to the taxpayer rather than short-term budget impact. The town has certain long-term liabilities, namely the Hampden County Retirement Fund and Other Post Employment Benefits (OPEB). These two funds cover the town’s share of pension and health insurance costs offered to all retirees. Wilbraham also took a significant portion of its stabilization funds to reduce the amount of debt we incurred through bonding, in order to build the new senior center – a decision that Mike believes was well thought out, but nevertheless impacted these accounts. In Mike’s view, this $500,000 would have gone a long way in helping to reduce or replenish, respectively, these areas of our budget. In so doing it would have helped to reduce our future tax burden as taxpayers while making Wilbraham’s financial future stronger.