Sustaining and Improving Fiscal Solvency
The nation’s current financial crisis is likely to worsen before it gets better; and a clear, multi-year plan must be in place to see the city through lean fiscal times. Linda has been a fiscal watchdog on the City Council, always finding programs and services that could bear cuts to benefit the taxpayers’ bottom line. A simple across-the-board cut will not do; some services are clearly more essential than others. Linda is looking for thoughtful and creative methods of maintaining programs without affecting core services like education and public safety.

“I take pride in my reputation as a fiscal watchdog. As a city, the current economic times will force us to avoid duplication, consolidate resources and implement creative ways to provide services if we are going to continue to provide residents with core services.”
 

Stabilizing Neighborhoods Impacted by Foreclosures and Public Safety Issues
Brockton has been hard-hit by the national foreclosure crisis; across the city, more and more homes are vacant. Residents are concerned about declining property values. The Mayor’s Office will work aggressively with the banks to address the problems including introducing the necessary ordinance changes to ensure that bank-owned properties are maintained.

When we address blighted properties we are also addressing the public safety issues these properties cause in the surrounding neighborhoods. It is time to take up the graffiti issue and recognize that graffiti is not only a burden for those who are the victims of this vandalism, but that the entire community suffers from a visible scar. As the “Broken Window Theory” has proven in many urban areas, when nuisances like broken windows or graffiti are fixed immediately, it sends a clear and powerful message that crime and vandalism will not be tolerated.

Brockton has received funding as part of a pilot program to focus on permanent housing to reduce homelessness. Working hand in hand, we can rehabilitate housing while helping residents to work towards self–sufficiency.

“The curb-side appeal of our community has a direct impact on the quality of life for our residents and whether a business will choose to locate in Brockton. Overgrown weeds, boarded up houses, and graffiti do nothing to help how we or others feel about the city. We have to take pride in and ownership of our image; that means residents looking out for one another taking responsibility for picking up trash and helping to keep our shared spaces clean, and it means renewed enforcement of nuisance laws by city officials.”
 

Reinvigorating Community Spirit/Engaging Citizenry
One of the biggest things Brockton is lacking right now is confidence. While the economy may be waning, there is no reason to believe that we can’t make this city better. When the chips are down, we have to pull together. In the early ‘90s, when numerous police officers and firefighters were laid off, citizens banded together to invigorate Neighborhood Crime Watch; they partnered with the Police Department to maintain security and peace of mind. We’ll have to do that again. Brockton is still a great place to live, work and raise a family. Crime is prevalent in some neighborhoods and we have to continue to work to defeat it. But we need to remember that this is a still city where
	neighbors help one another; where our kids get a great education and have opportunities to shine in academics, athletics and the arts; and where good businesses, like Kinnealey Foods, come to set down their roots. We will focus on creating opportunities to build community spirit and community connections. In addition to the Summer Concert Series for the seniors, we will introduce summer concerts for parents and families at Snow Park, where parents, children and neighbors can come together to enjoy good music and conversation. These types of efforts will build a shared sense of ownership of our parks and playgrounds and help us to make them cleaner, safer and more accessible to all.

The Mayor’s Office will serve as a hub for community service, with a web-based volunteer opportunity system that connects community minded citizens with service opportunities. The Mayor’s Office will also maintain a database of volunteers and use the city’s website as an effective tool for communication and a means of encouraging citizens to participate in government by actively soliciting candidates for city boards and commissions.

Communication is the key to a robust city life, and the Mayor’s Office will provide regular briefings on city business and activities for residents. These updates will be posted on the city’s website, and made available through the library, Council on Aging and local media.

“Our greatest asset as a community is each other. When we work together there is nothing that we cannot accomplish.
 

Strengthening Economic Development
Brockton is home to one of the largest solar field arrays in the nation that was created on a “brownfield.” Capitalizing on this, we should work closely with Governor Patrick’s newly created Green Communities Division of the State’s Department of Energy Resources. Our initiative will include establishing training programs for individuals to learn the necessary skills to construct LEED certified green buildings, install photovoltaic panels and rehabilitate buildings in the most energy-efficient manner, as well as attract green manufacturing companies such as those that create photovoltaic panels, thereby creating a rebirth of manufacturing in the city. Brockton, once the “Shoe City” could become the “Green City.”

Oversight of the 21st Century Corporation will be the first item on the agenda in strengthening the city’s approach to economic development ventures and the mayor will be a major part of all the 21st Century Corporation’s initiatives. The taxpayers of the city  have a vested interest in development of clean, safe businesses locating in Brockton, and Linda will work hand in hand with the 21st Century Corporation to identify and attract responsible businesses to the city to strengthen the business tax base and create jobs.

Linda’s focus is on luring green technology companies, light industry and high-tech firms who will be an asset to the city, not a deterrent.

“I will work tirelessly to ensure that, under my administration, economic development efforts in Brockton will be in the best interests of the residents. Let’s work to make the ‘Shoe City’ the ‘Green City.’”