EXPERIENCE IDEAS RESULTS

• 3 Terms as an Easthampton Selectman
• 25 Years of successful private business experience
• 15 Years as the Mayor of Easthampton
• 15 Years of engagement on the Easthampton School Committee
  

With over 33 years of continuous local government experience, an extensive knowledge of our city, a fluid knowledge of municipal law, a keen understanding of public financial operations, exceptional computer software skills, and MCPPO certification,  Mayor Mike Tautznik is, without a doubt, the more experienced candidate for Mayor.

He has a proven record of success in the job and has helped to change the destiny of Easthampton. He empowers the imagination and creativity of our city and works tirelessly for the good of the people he serves.

His ability to implement positive change is why Easthampton is a strong community, respected in the valley and held out by many as an example of a progressive 21st century New England city.

He has always been a strong supporter and tireless advocate of quality education at all levels in the Easthampton School System. He has worked hard over the years to secure funding and provide services to our excellent educational system. He has spearheaded the new High School project and helped secure preferred bond rates because of the city's excellent financial standing.

Mayor Mike’s extensive experience and proven skills mean he has been:

• Successfully managing a $35 million municipal corporation, in both good and difficult economic times.

• Cooperatively promoting economic development cultural arts and neighborhood preservation into the fabric of our community.

• Diligently working for all of the city's best interests in directing a government that seeks to find effective solutions while preserving opportunities for active participation from its citizens.

• Actively conserving our most important natural, cultural, municipal and historic resources for future generations to enjoy.

• Effectively implementing the vision of our community in cooperation with the many diverse men and women who serve as employees, elected officials and volunteer board members.
• Making our city a leader in energy conservation and green energy implementation.
  

Mike has worked diligently to bring Easthampton into the 21st century with pride and success.  We need his continued qualities, capabilities and professionalism to keep Easthampton moving forward, especially in these trying times.

                      Vote for Mayor Michael Tautznik and Continue the Renaissance in Easthampton!

Easthampton has a rich history of business and industry. Sprawling textile mills filled with local workers, surrounding our downtown and providing foot traffic and customers to support a wide variety of shops and retail establishments. A thriving rail line with spurs to all of the factory complexes and a freight yard located just off of Liberty Street meant nearly 100 years of good jobs and thriving commerce for all to enjoy. In two decades, from the late 1960's through the mid 1980's, the industries of our historic past began to dwindle. Some were bought out and moved to the South while others faltered because of a shrinking textile industry in this country or the introduction of less expensive foreign products. We're fortunate that some have remained strong through innovation, hard work and perseverance but the large local factory employment we once enjoyed is no longer. I am taking this opportunity to discuss how our response to these changes has been setting the stage for our current and future success.

In the late 1980's we began to understand that there would need to be a new and more flexible approach to zoning if we were serious about filling our significant stock of 19th century mills. As a member of our local legislature I was among the early voices who asked that we undertake a comprehensive Master Planning process. As a member of the Board of Selectmen I became a leading voice for a comprehensive overhaul of the rules, one that would make re-use of these historic assets easier. These efforts met with significant success and I'm pleased that our efforts were incorporated into law. Now, more than 20 years later, most of our historic mills are occupied with small business, industries and artists. Those that remain are under new ownership and will once again become productive assets in a new economy. The reason I mention these past efforts is to illustrate the length of time required to see meaningful results from changes in public policy.

Today we are at the start of another significant resurgence, brought about by a similar effort to take advantage of the assets already in place in this wonderful community. Our decade of Visioning and Master Planning has brought the best of our thinking into focus and I'm happy to have played an important part in this. Over the past fifteen years the idea of making Easthampton a destination has come to life. We've embraced the arts as a natural extension of our community, expanded our park system and installed new facilities for the enjoyment of citizens and visitors alike. We've nearly completed the construction of the Manhan Rail Trail and have connected it to our neighbors to the North and the South. We've made investments in our Administrative and Public Safety facilities, completed the dredging of Nashawannuck Pond, the jewel of our downtown, and we are in the midst of constructing a 21st century high school for our children. My administration continues to build on this momentum through innovation and creative thinking. We are constructing one of the first solar electric generating facilities in the valley on a formerly useless landfill, making headway on environmental improvements to sustain the longevity and natural habitat of both the Nashawannuck Pond and the Manhan River, and we are seeking funds to build a pedestrian friendly atmosphere in the heart of our city by constructing a boardwalk along the pond at Cottage Street and Williston Avenue.

I have been involved directly in leading our community for more than 34 years, much of it as a volunteer, because I believe in Easthampton. I have worked in cooperation with others to achieve the results we see today and I have the demonstrated ability to foster success in the initiatives of tomorrow.

        A partial list of Mayor Mike's Awards and Achievements during his years of service to Easthampton:

1994 Mike T is awarded Human Spirit Distinguished Service Award from Reynolds & Reynolds for his volunteerism to his community.

1996 Mike T is voted in as the first mayor of Easthampton.

1997 Bond rating of city established as better than it was prior to Mike's leadership (and has remained stable ever since).

1997 $400K grant comes in for Old Town Hall restoration.

1998 (Long before 9/11 and Katrina) Mike T opts to involve city in nationwide Civil Defense Response Exercise, the only community in Hampshire County to do so. As a result, he is awarded Certificate of Achievement from the Emergency Management Institute.

1998 Mike T is actively involved in city's spring series Visioning Process as a citizen along with many other citizens. Within a few years MT has led the city in carrying out a large number of the Visioning Process goals.

1998 Executive Office of Environmental Affairs gives the city an A rating for its high recycled materials amount.

1998 WMECO agrees to award the city $15K for its plans to install energy-efficient lighting in the new Public Safety Complex (PSC).

1998 Mike T awarded Centennial Recognition Award from Dept. of Environmental Management for his efforts on behalf of MA State Forest and Parks, including the Mt. Tom Reservation.

1998 $72K grant to aid parents eligible to receive family day-care subsidies.

1998 Mike T initiates review of city by Bank of Boston that results in a $100K savings  to the city in interest payments for the construction loan  on the Public Safety Complex.

1998 Mike worked with the Park and Recreation Dept. to build a playground at Strong and Plain Streets--land the city bought for a Fire Dept. substation that ended up not being needed; he secured the funding for this playground, involved interested citizens and helped build it.

1999 City Stabilization fund increased from $53K at inception of new government to $1.1 million with Mike's financial skills. 

1999 Springfield Papers officially endorse Mike Tautznik for re-election due to his having "stabilized the city's finances and boosted the city's reserve funds."

1999 Thanks to his perseverance in convincing other city officials of the need for it, obtaining the necessary funds to build it and acting as the building's building manager during construction, the Fire and Police Departments are housed in the newly built Public Safety Complex.

1999 City wins $889K grant for structural repairs to the Town Lodging House (the last remaining one in the  country--this space was eventually taken over by South Middlesex  Opportunity Council for the same purposes and is running successfully, no longer needing the city to finance its operation; Mike T made sure the residence was always taken care of  by the city before he brokered this arrangement).

1998 MT asked the Park and Recreation Dept. to consider a playground for the corner of Strong and Plain Streets--land that the city bought tentatively for a Fire Dept. substation that ended up not being needed; MT secured the funding for this playground, involved interested citizens and helped build it.

2000 City gets its first bus to service city residents, workers and visitors (including Seniors, youth and businesses) due to a partnership between the city and the Pioneer Valley Transit Authority: The Nashawannuck Express. Mike established this service for the city.

2000 Successful and much-needed revamping of the intersection at Main and Union Streets is carried out, including better lights , better traffic flow and clearer crosswalks.

2000 Beginning of plans for a Manhan River Fish Dam starts with Mike T's initiating the Army Corps of Engineers' involvement to study this.

2000 Mike T given Award of Gratitude from the United Veterans of America for his "confidence, support and assistance" to Veterans.

2000 City obtains 130K grant to expand Flex Van service into more areas of the city and provide to and from service to Northampton.

2001 City Departments make much-needed move from Old Town Hall to 50 Payson Avenue, to accommodate additional staffing , space and services needed for citizens.

2002 City is 1 in 17 tapped by the state to receive $13K grant to update its GIS technology.

2003 Saving the city $20K a year, MT coordinates sharing a Veterans' Agent with 2 other communities--Veterans and other citizens find this to be an extremely successful action.

2004 Mike T reorganizes the City Assessor's office successfully.

2005 MT joins the group Mayors For Peace, which is pressing for the abolition of nuclear weapons by 2020.

2005 In a move to eventually save the city $30-35K/year in street-lighting costs MT initiates the city purchasing some of the lights.

2007 Easthampton (via MT) is the only community out of all that the Daily Hampshire Gazette requested the Public's Access to Information that actually provided it to the paper.

2007 Easthampton has one of the lowest tax rates in the region (Mike , with departments' help is able to keep city services at good levels with minimal lay-offs,  this during the terrible economic times of 2008 and 2009 while other communities are having to make deeper cuts to personnel and services)

2007 Thanks to Mike T's desire to see that Old Town Hall function as an Art space and to carefully work to make the improvements needed, CityArts is currently operating in the black.

2008 For the 6th year in a row, the city will receive a monetary bonus from the MA Interlocal Insurance Assoc. for MT's involvement in implementing loss prevention measures and other management policies aimed at reducing accidents and injuries.

2008 Due to Mike T's certification as a Procurement Officer (and the only working for the city) he is able to save the city money on the new school building project as he can act as its Purchasing Agent.

2009 Mike T was instrumental in getting the city to purchase through CPA an Adams Street house to be renovated and used for affordable housing.

2009 The City receives a Bronze Rating for being a community leading the way in MA's biotechnology industry,by the MA Biotechnology Council.

2010 With the mayor's support, the Ballot Question on the new high school construction passes.

2011 Construction begins on new high school adjacent to old high school. City receives favorable bond rating and interest rate resulting in $3 million savings on school construction costs.

2011 City Council agrees to Oliver St Solar Panel Project. Mayor Mike worked tirelessly to secure the best deal for the city and present the results to the Council. Green energy project will save the city money and reduce reliance on fossil fuels.

2011 With Mayor Mike's strong support and work, city moves ahead with LED streetlight replacement project. Annual savings to the city are projected to be $30000+.

EACH YEAR SINCE TAKING OFFICE, MAYOR MIKE HAS PROPOSED AND WON OVERWHELMING APPROVAL OF EVERY BUDGET/FINANCE MEASURE PLACED BEFORE THE CITY COUNCIL. MAYOR MIKE WORKS HARD TO INSURE CONSENSUS WITH ALL COUNCIL MEMBERS ON THE INITIATIVES & PRIORITIES HE PUTS BEFORE THEM. HE LISTENS TO ALL VIEWPOINTS AND INCORPORATES OTHERS' IDEAS INTO A SOLUTION THAT WORKS FOR ALL OF US.  EASTHAMPTON NEEDS HIS EXPERIENCE, IDEAS, AND RESULTS MORE THAN EVER IN THIS ELECTION.

Mayor Mike's Stance on Education Funding:

Before Mike became the first Mayor of Easthampton the schools were constantly battling to gain a fair share of revenue from the community. Town Meetings were largely about filling the auditorium with special interests and school advocates were fighting to squeeze a few more dollars from the Finance Committee every year. There was no predictable method used to allocate the funds and it was always a process of pitting one department against the other on budget matters. When Mike took over as Mayor he brought all of the departments together and he set a goal to spend a consistent level of available funds on Education. Within one year Mike was able to start increasing the share of revenue spent on education. Under his leadership the city is now spending more than 66 cents out of every available dollar to educate our children. That's two-thirds of each and every tax dollar being spent for our future. Mike believes in Easthampton and he is dedicated to helping our kids!

Mayor Mike works diligently to protect our water supplies in Easthampton:

The wells providing Easthampton with a clean and abundant water supply have been an important issue to the community since the first test well was driven into a field off of Hendrick Street in 1905. This underground drinking water source eventually replaced supplies pumped from the Manhan River and Bassett Brook. Easthampton's groundwater supply has been expanded over the years to include the Nonotuck Park, Pines and Brook Street wells at the South end of the city, and the Maloney Swamp well (near the Manhan River at the end of Pleasant Street) in the northern part of the city. In all but the latter location, a pure and uncontaminated water supply was produced.

In the mid 1970's Mayor Mike became a member of the Conservation Commission and a Town Meeting member. At the time there was no specific scientific data identifying the source of our water or the bounds of the Barnes Aquifer.  Mike contacted the University of Massachusetts and eventually spoke with Professor Ward Motts, who had written extensively about the geology of the region. This contact led the mayor to initiate a long process to identify the bounds of the aquifer. He worked with many others to facilitate protection of our primary drinking water supply and is widely known to be the most knowledgeable person on the subject to ever serve in local government. His accomplishments are well documented and his passion for the wise stewardship of this irreplaceable resource remains strong and unwavering. Mayor Mike is a true champion for our drinking water and would not put it at risk for any reason!

In 1993 and 1994  then-Selectman Mike was probably the city's strongest advocate to build a water treatment plant to remove the TCE contamination that had entered our aquifer in the 1940's and 50's from the Holyoke area. If Mike hadn't been so persuasive about the need for this facility there's no telling what kind of treatment plant would've been built. He was able to convince the citizens of Easthampton to vote in favor of it and the TCE is no longer in our drinking water.

In spite of political statements made by his detractors, Mayor Mike did not support the proposed landfill expansion in Northampton and encouraged our neighbors to fully explore all of the options available for the disposal of solid waste. He met with scientists, engineers, regulators and ordinary citizens to discuss their ideas, to hear their concerns, to understand their research and to review their findings. He believes the water quality issue needs to be better understood, that existing pollution makes the affected aquifer undesirable for drinking water purposes and that dangerous contaminants already in the potentially impacted well should not be introduced into our water supply.

If the current landfill was to expand it would have taken place in an area that already has several existing landfills, long ago built with no barriers or other environmental protections. The groundwater that could be remotely affected by the possibility of pollution from a new lined and monitored landfill is already in more danger from the existing landfills than it would be from the proposed expansion. If the new landfill were to be built it will be double lined and will have an active pollution collection system.  The probability of any sort of release to the groundwater would be extremely low. A computer based Contaminant Transport Model, which was mandated by DEP, found that if a catastrophic release did occur at the landfill, any pollutants which might reach the little used Maloney Swamp well would be of such a low concentration that it would be below the acceptable limits for safe drinking water.

There is no possibility that the drinking water at the Hendrick Street, Nonotuck Park, Pines or Brook Street wells could have been impacted by the proposal. These are the wells from which we get our drinking water and they are upstream and a great distance away. The only public well remotely connected to the Northampton expansion proposal is already polluted with arsenic and high levels of manganese, and is used only in an emergency to provide water pressure in case of a major fire in the old mills along Pleasant Street. The last time this well was pumped into the water supply was in 1995 & 1996, when the Hendrick Street water treatment plant was being constructed. As it turned out the residents in Northampton decided not to expand their solid waste landfill.

As a matter of fact, a real estate agent wanted to buy prime water supply land  for a development which could have put all of our southern water supply wells in jeopardy (Daily Hampshire Gazette 1/18/2000). Fortunately for all of us, Mayor Mike and many other concerned citizens were there to stop him. Today that 70 acres of land on the slopes of Mount Tom is permanently protected from the threat of any real estate developer. Thanks to the insight and passion of Mayor Mike, that land is now owned by the city and protected from any future development.

EXPERIENCE    IDEAS     RESULTS