Election 2009: Alcombright Outlines Three Cs Strategy

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Richard Alcombright
This is a submitted release from mayoral candidate Richard Alcombright.

NORTH ADAMS, Mass. — Mayoral candidate Dick Alcombright released his thoughts on Sunday on how to achieve economic development in the city of North Adams by means of "Conversation, Commitment and Consensus."
 
We know the local economy is stagnant and we need to overcome some economic challenges. I believe I can provide the leadership to do so. I also believe that we are at a place in time where we need to engage at all levels to position ourselves for development opportunities. I intend to manage economic development efforts in this way:

1. Conversation: I will assemble a variety of business and civic leaders to engage in community conversations with respect to all segments of economic and growth opportunities.

2. Commitment: We must identify the commitment of any development or growth project to the greater community.  We need to ask what comes next?  What is the greater growth opportunity that any development project provides? And how do we position ourselves to take advantage of that greater opportunity?

3. Consensus: I will establish priorities through a community consensus. As a community, we need to build a plan for our future, one that embraces smart growth, follow the plan and modify it as necessary. I will be asking for input from all who care about the future of North Adams and will welcome any and all ideas.

 
I truly believe that our economic future is dependent on engaging our citizens in the process of growing the city and creating jobs. No single individual can accomplish this task by himself. We need a transparent team environment in North Adams to maximize our strengths.
 
We have a great liberal arts college, a world class museum, a wonderful hospital, abundant natural beauty and an airport in our small City. These five things alone should make us very attractive to business and development as long as we provide an inclusive and collaborative environment. I want to work with our North Berkshire neighbors with the simple, but compelling thought, that what is good for one of us is good for us all.
 
As a banker, I live in a world of black and white, debits and credits, assets and liabilities. But I dream in color. I intend to create a new culture in this fine city in which everyone can dream in color. We need to talk and plan together and realize that we are a community of unlimited human resources.
 
Together we will succeed.
 
For information about Alcombright and his campaign, contact him at info@AlcombrightForMayor.com, 413-663-5057 and AlcombrightForMayor.com.
If you would like to contribute information on this article, contact us at info@iberkshires.com.

Williamstown Homeowners Facing 7 Percent Hike in Tax Rate

By Stephen DravisiBerkshires Staff
WILLIAMSTOWN, Mass. — Property owners will pay nearly a dollar more per $1,000 of assessed value in the current fiscal year under a tax classification proposal that goes to the Select Board on Monday evening.
 
According to a memo prepared by town Assessor Christopher Lamarre, the FY27 tax rate will be $15.16 per $1,000 of property value, an increase of 96 cents, or 6.8 percent, from the $14.20 per $1,000 property owners paid in the fiscal year that ended on June 30.
 
The increase is because of a 9.12 percent hike in the levy based on the budget and fiscal articles approved for FY27 at May's annual town meeting.
 
In FY26, the town collected $21.9 million from property taxes; this year, it needs to collect $24.1 million to pay its bills, a rise of $2.2 million.
 
That is by far the largest hike in the last 10 years — the period covered by data readily available on the town's website. In FY26, levy grew by 5.8 percent, following an eight-year period where the largest jump was 5.52 percent in 2018.
 
At the same time, the town continued to see growth rate in the tax base that does not keep up with rising costs. In FY27, "new growth" is pegged at $18.2 million, yielding just $258,004 in new tax revenue — far below the $2.2 million in needed revenue.
 
The total of taxable property in town in FY27 is $1.6 billion.
 
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