Letter: Re-Elect Christine Hoyt in Adams

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To the Editor:

The financial health of the Town of Adams has improved greatly in the nine years since Christine Hoyt was elected to the Board of Selectmen, and I am voting for her re-election so that Adams will continue to benefit from her expertise.

Here are two examples of better financial management during Christine's tenure on the board.

Our Stabilization Fund has increased by 264 percent. The Stabilization Fund is the state's name for what is considered a savings account for rainy days. When Christine was first elected in 2017, the Stabilization Fund had only $331,968 in it. For the past nine years, Christine has supported fiscal policy that resulted in a Stabilization Fund certified in July 2024 at $1,207,110.


Our residential tax rate has decreased by 27 percent, from $21.37 when Christine was elected in 2017 to $15.63 in 2026. Adams' commercial, industrial, and personal property tax rate has gone down by 12 percent, from $24.55 to $21.51 over that period. Christine has contributed to the decrease in the rate by supporting level-service budgets and conservative budgeting. I know that increases in property values have meant increases in tax bills, but they would have been worse had the rates remained higher.

If she is re-elected, Christine supports a plan to further help the tax rate by addressing the inequity that causes some taxpayers who do not live within the Adams Fire District to pay taxes to support the wastewater treatment plant. Implementing a sewer-use fee means that those taxpayers will no longer pay for sewer services they can't use. And, the fee would allow the town to recoup costs for sewer use by nonprofit properties that don't pay for the sewer services they use because they don't pay property taxes.

Please join me in voting for Christine Hoyt on May 4 so that she can continue working on behalf of our town.

Dianne M Cutillo
Adams, Mass. 

 

 

 

 

 


Tags: election 2026,   town elections,   


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Cheshire Speed Limits Reduced, Code of Conduct Mulled

By Breanna SteeleiBerkshires Staff

CHESHIRE, Mass. — Some streets will soon be slower for cars with the Department of Public Works replacing the speed limit signs in response to community concerns.

The town adopted Chapter 90, Section 17C to reduce some local road speed limits to 25 mph. Twenty-three streets are approved by the state; signs are ordered from the state Department of Transportation and should arrive within a couple weeks.

DPW Director Corey McGrath told the Selectmen at last Tuesday's meeting that the department had received concerns from residents wanting people to be slower on the following streets:

  • Church Street 
  • East Main Street 
  • portions of Wells Road 
  • Main Street 
  • Furnace Hill Road
  • Flaherty Road
  • Pit Road
  • Prospect Street 
  • Dean Street 
  • Richmond Street 
  • School Street 
  • Railroad Street 
  • Depot Street 
  • Richardson Street 
  • 5th Avenue
  • Meadowview Drive 
  • Wood Lane
  • Dean Street Extension 
  • portions of Ingalls Road 
  • Devonshire Drive 
  • Yorkshire Drive
  • Berkshire Drive 
  • Wilshire Drive 

Chair Michelle Francesconi asked McGrath to look into the signs solar-powered "slow down" signs. She also spoke about increasing problems with electric bicycles and similar devices.

Young people are going 30 to 40 mph, often on sidewalks, weaving between cars, cutting through private property and town property and riding in the road, she said, and brought up how other towns are creating bylaws to address these problems. Francesconi thought the board should look into it as well as a matter of public safety.

The state is currently revising related laws, so the board will see what the Legislature passes and then model bylaws on other communities.

Francesconi also said that since there is limited police coverage at night during most of the behavior, she suggested shifting some patrol hours to evenings to address youth riding behavior.

Later in the meeting, Francesconi also brought up code of conduct for town employees as she has been receiving numerous reports regarding professionalism, boundaries, confidentiality, and internal relationships and communication among town hall staff, department heads, and with the public.

She said town counsel has recommended adopting a code of conduct as well as providing training. After some discussion, the board decided to get a catalog of training options and identify mandatory and optional trainings. Members are also thinking of doing them in-person.

In other news, the Fire Department's rescue boat missing from the water because motor is broken and is in the process of being replaced.

There are two applicants in the running for the police chief position who will be doing the assessment center on Aug. 17. The Selectmen will get their resumes afterward and decide on interviews.

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