The more I listen to the townspeople, the more concerned I am with East Longmeadow’s political scene. This confirms my belief that the town is in need of real change. There are whisperings among the political establishment as we progress toward our new charter that raises the question if real change is going to happen.

I have heard from citizens of East Longmeadow on their many concerns expressed about their future voice in government, the day-to-day activities or our departments, the tax rate and so forth. Here is a sampling.

There has been talk of out of town investors looking into properties in town with the expectation that our zoning bylaws regarding multi-story buildings and drive-thrus will change under the new charter.

There was a deal agreed upon between the School and Appropriations committees pertaining to the cancellation of an infrastructure maintenance request on capital planning with school property.

There has been talk of an individual in the wings for the position of interim town manager and candidate for town manager even before the election and search process has begun.

There has been talk of Mr. Neffinger suing the town for the way his firing was handled by town officials.

There has been talk about our tax assessment rate approaching the state’s minimum $25 per $1,000, and the resulting layoffs. Our budget has increased 4 to 5 percent each of the last 10 years and the taxpayers are footing the bill.

Our new charter will not end these concerns if the faces in the political realm don’t change.

If you are satisfied with the happenings of town affairs up to this point, there are plenty of political establishment candidates to choose from. If you want real change, then give the new face candidates an opportunity to make real effective change and be accountable to the citizens of East Longmeadow only. We have a variety of backgrounds with the life skills necessary to perform the duties of the new council. We can feed off of each other’s talents and reach out to multiple resources at our disposal. We will have access to the many dedicated and experienced town employees, from existing boards, committees and departments willing to make this transaction a success. We also have a town lawyer and multiple regional and state advisory boards.

We have the skills, the will and the passion to be great representatives for the town. With no debt owed, favors to fill or commitments to outside influences, we will answer only to the townspeople of East Longmeadow.

Go to the town website and ELCAT and view our video bios and you will know who we are.

Get out and vote on June 7 for real change.

Lawrence Rinaldi
East Longmeadow