Letter: Alex Blumin for City Council

Letter to the Editor02:00PM / Wednesday, September 13, 2023Print Story | Email Story

To the Editor: I am excited to endorse Mr. Alex Blumin for Ward 2 City Council. When we elect Mr. Blumin, we continue Ward 2's tradition of self-governance. We consistently choose the independent voice to represent our interests. We have a tradition of preserving a philosophy of reasonable inquiry of elected officials, and we demand responsible financial governance.

Ward 2 awaits the city's fulfillment of its promises to complete roadwork and fix abandoned homes. Mr. Blumin will push the city to achieve these promises. The mayor aggressively hiked water and sewer rates twice in the last two years, and she promised more increases. Ward 2 residents worry about the ever-expanding city budget they are forced to fund. Alex Blumin shares your worries and will fight for responsible budgets. Mr. Blumin will continue to promote reducing your taxes and reducing water rates by using your tax dollars locked in free cash and the cannabis reserves.

City Hall spending lacks transparency. The next councilor will see the $41 million in ARPA funds spent down. The ARPA Advisory Committee meets in secret and spends money on projects that do not appear to benefit Ward 2. The City Council has not had any input on a single dollar spent. Mr. Blumin would dare to ask the hard questions: What did the ARPA Committee discuss in their secret meetings? Pittsfield Economic Development Authority (PEDA) has new funding coming up. Will it support the destitute business environment in Pittsfield and Ward 2? Mr. Blumin will insist that it does.

When Mr. Blumin whispered "corruption" in his debate, he dared to state a fact of our government that many councilors privately discuss. I saw a man display his love and admiration for our legal traditions and institutions. You saw his courage to hold our leaders to high standards and principles.

Mr. Blumin has a long involvement in city politics, and the time is now for him to lead. He has the intelligence and courage to do the job. Ward 2, you must turn out on Sept. 19, and I strongly urge you to vote for Alex Blumin for your councilor.

Charles Kronick
Pittsfield, Mass.

Charles Kronick is the current Ward 2 councilor and is not running for re-election.

Tags: election 2023, endorsement, municipal election,

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Dalton Officials Consider Tool to Navigate Aging Infrastructure Costs

By Sabrina DammsiBerkshires Staff
05:14AM / Wednesday, August 19, 2026

DALTON, Mass. — The town's aging infrastructure remains a top concern for many officials, with recent discussions focusing on water, sewer, and stormwater systems as leaders begin evaluating how to tackle the costly work while protecting taxpayers from an overwhelming financial burden.

During the Select Board meeting in July, Capital Planning Committee Chair Thomas Irwin, who also serves as a Finance Committee member, advocated for the purchase of a subscription to Waterworth, a financial planning and modeling tool.

"Their vision was to help municipalities make better long-term infrastructure investment and utility rate decisions by replacing disconnected spreadsheets with a single living financial planning model," he told the board.

The Select Board tabled the discussion and decided to vote on the proposed subscription — whether it's the one-year plan or the discounted three-year plan — during a meeting in August.

The town's drinking water system experiences regular water main breaks, particularly during the winter months, Irwin said.

While the stormwater and sanitary sewer systems are not under pressure, they face their own challenges, including increased infiltration during rainstorms that raises sewer treatment costs and compliance concerns where stormwater lines run beneath sanitary sewer lines, Irwin said.

Waterworth has several subscriptions to choose from but the main two discussed were the three-year and one year models.

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