Mark Gold who is currently running for re-election to the Longmeadow Select
Board submitted the following letter for consideration by Longmeadow
voters where he outlines his Top 10 Accomplishments as a Select Board member since 2009.
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Top 10 GOLD Accomplishments
- Gold has participated in the development of 13 annual town
budgets, all developed to provide level services to town residents WITHIN (and for the last two years below) the
2.5% allowable increase in tax rates.
- Gold spearheaded the project that resulted in the purchase of
Longmeadow’s streetlights from Eversource.
The town purchased the streetlights in the fall of 2019 and converted
them to high efficiency LED lights during 2020.
This purchase and conversion project is saving the Town over $420,000 per year in lease and
electrical expense, a savings that increases each time electrical rates
increase. This savings worked out to
$80 per household per year in 2020.
- Gold participated in the negotiation of three trash hauling contracts. In each instance, his experience has brought
significant contributions in the form of reduced costs to the town.
- Gold participated in formulating the MGM Surrounding
Community Agreement that resulted in the Town of Longmeadow having the second
highest impact payment of any community in Western Mass. Gold also was able to get a 2.5% annual
impact fee escalator inserted into the agreement- something that will provide
Longmeadow hundreds of thousands of dollars of additional revenue during the
19-year life of the agreement.
- Gold implemented installation of remote-read water
meters. This project has saved the town
hundreds of thousands of dollars by allowing for the reassignment of water
department employees who formerly read meters full time to tasks that had
previously been outsourced.
- Gold formulated and secured passage of the 0.75% supplemental
local meals tax. This tax originally
estimated at $60,000 per year has resulted in annual revenue that exceeds
$100,000 in most years and was $120,000 in FY2019.
- Gold is considered the Select Board member who understands
the process by which water (and sewer) rates are set.
a.) He yearly reviews the recommendations of the town’s CFO and has on several occasions convinced other Select Board members to reduce the proposed water rate below what was recommended by the CFO, without disruption to the finances of those enterprise funds.
b.) Secured passage of a by-law change and subsequent water billing system that includes a connection fee to assure that zero water users contribute to capital requirements. This parallels the sewer connection fee and reduces the cost per unit of water for all water customers.
c.) In 2021 Gold completed a study of water use patterns that resulted in the Select Board adopting sewer rates that are more equitable for residents with lawn irrigation system. - Along with former CFO Paul Pasterczyk, Gold led the effort
for structuring and securing bonding (funds) for the Longmeadow High School
construction project. The bonding
structure optimized the principle vs. interest structure of the bonds to
minimize the impact on tax rates over the life of the bonds.
- Gold initiated the purchase of a fiber optics line that had
been leased by the town for intra-town data and voice communications. This purchase has saved the town over $50,000
per year in lease costs.
- Gold intervened with the Pioneer Valley Transit Authority to retain bus service to Longmeadow (Bay Path University route) when that service was scheduled to be eliminated. This intervention was part of Gold’s activities representing Longmeadow on the PVTA Advisory Board. As part of this responsibility, Gold also helped integrate Longmeadow to the expanded 3-Town trolley that provides “dial-a-ride” services to seniors within Longmeadow, East Longmeadow and Hampden at reduced fares relative to the more traditional para-transit (dial-a-ride) service.
Vote Mark Gold for Select Board on Tuesday, June 14
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