Re-Elect Mayor Bill Carpenter: Endorsed By Brockton Police Patrolmen's Association

Published on Sep 13, 2015 To the residents of the City of Brockton: It is with great pride that the Brockton Police Patrolmen's Association (BPPA) endorses Mayor Bill Carpenter for a second term as Mayor of the City of Brockton. Mayor Carpenter has been an advocate for the men and women of the Brockton Police Department since the moment he was sworn in as Mayor in January, 2014. As Mayor, he supported the increase in the number of detectives in the narcotics and gang units. Subsequently in 2014, we nearly doubled the number of raids and increased drug arrests; allowing the Brockton Police Department to get dangerous criminals, drugs and guns off the streets. Mayor Carpenter has invested in technology to support Brockton police officers as he led the fight for 'Shot-Spotter' expansion, Brockton's first fingerprinting technology, and the push for more video cameras throughout the city. Each of these measures has not only enhanced the work of the Brockton Police Department but protects the officers who risk their lives on a daily basis. The results speak for themselves as there has been a major reduction in almost every major criminal category; the number of breaking and entering cases is down 25 percent, forcible rapes are down 24 percent, robberies are down 15 percent, aggravated assaults are down 11 percent. The return of the motorcycle and bicycle patrols has aided in the downward trend in each one of those categories and has allowed the Brockton Police to have a better rapport with the citizens of the City. We believe in Mayor Carpenter's leadership and commitment to the Brockton Police Department. Therefore, the Brockton Police Patrolmen's Association proudly endorses Mayor Bill Carpenter for a second term as Mayor of the City of Brockton and we hope you join us in voting for Mayor Carpenter, on Tuesday, September 22, 2015. Sincerely, William Healy, President Brockton Police Patrolmen's Association

OPEN LETTER FROM BROCKTON CANDIDATE COUNCILOR AT LARGE CRAIG PINA

Dear neighbors and fellow citizens of Brockton,

My name is Craig Pina and I am running for Councilor at Large in our city. I am running because, as a lifelong Brocktonian, I have seen our home go through some good times, as well as some times that were not so good. I am deeply concerned about the future of Brockton and the people who live here. As your Councilor at Large, I will work to make Brockton a better place to live and a great place to do business. By working to strengthen the business community, we will

• Attract more and better jobs to Brockton
• Improve the safety of our streets
• Strengthen our already outstanding school system
• Improve the quality of senior life
• Ensure that nobody “falls through the cracks”

All are keys to making Brockton a better place to live and raise a family.
I am looking forward to meeting as many residents as I possibly can this year and truly listening to your concerns and, when elected, work to implement your good ideas to improve Brockton and build a greater sense of community for ALL of our residents.

 

Highlights:

~ Brockton High School Graduate - 1988

~ Lifelong Brockton resident - Brockton has always been a great place to live and raise a family, Craig would like to make sure it stays that way. Craig grew up on Cary Hill, where his father, Charlie Pina, ran Brookfield Little League for much of the '80's. He lived for 10 years with his wife and two daughters in the city's east side, the family has lived in Ward 1 for the past 7 years.

~ Committed to Community Service - Craig has served on numerous boards and committees over the past two decades working with organizations such as

• Brockton Conservation Commission
  • Commissioner 2014 - Present
• Metro South Chamber of Commerce
  • Ambassador Committee
  • Legislative Affairs Committee
• Rotary Club of Brockton
• Boxer Football Alumni Association
  • 2015 Golf Tournament Chair
• NO to New Heights Charter School - Co-Founder
• Brockton Against Common Core - Co-Founder
• Rabboni Lodge A.F. & A.M.
  • Past Master - 2011 to 2012
• St. George Lodge A.F. & A.M.
• Brockton Republican City Committee
  • Chair 2012 to 2014
• Brockton Water Commission
  • 2006 to 2010
• Brockton Day Nursery
  • President from 2007 to 2010)
• Brockton Fights Back
  • Summer Solstice Festival Committee Chair
• Old Colony YMCA
  • Former Chair Big Sister/Big Brother Program
  • Old Colony Y Services Corporation (past board member)
• Children's Museum in Easton
  • Past board member
• Greater Plymouth County United Way
  • Allocations Committee
• Special Olympics Massachusetts (Area Manager from 1998 to 2004)
  • Built a first of its kind program in Brockton utilizing collaborations between City Government, Brockton Schools, and the local business community
• Kiwanis Club of Brockton
• Past President
• Started B.U.G. (Bring Up Grades) Award program in 6 inner city schools
• Joseph Strazzula Award Recipient

WWW.PINAFORBROCKTON.COM

GREAT ARTICLE FROM 2014 BY MICHELE MORGAN BOLTON ON THE 1 BILLION DOLLAR'S IN TAX EXEMPT PROPERTIE'S IN BROCKTON

This is an article I came across the other day and  I didn't realize that Brockton has a little over 1 billion dollars in properties that are claimed as non-profit and pay no taxes or tax exempt. They use up a lot of services such as MainSpring, High Point and many others when they have to call BPD or BFD. In lieu of that I believe that we need to assess some type of fee like surroundings towns due. If we could get 5% of that Billion we are looking at some real revenue coming in. Also look into some of the salaries of the CEO's of these non-profits and you will be amazed at how much they make but that another story. Every little bit helps and we have to really buckle down and start taking care of Brockton.

Brockton mayor wants nonprofits to pay

Brockton mayor wants nonprofits to pay

 

By Michele Morgan Bolton

 | Globe Correspondent                        June 15, 2014  

 

• Sticking to a campaign promise not to raise taxes, Brockton Mayor Bill Carpenter released a $375 million budget last week that omits a 2.5 percent increase allowed under the tax limits of Proposition 2½.

Instead, the new mayor said he is on a quest for new revenue to fill in gaps, and in addition to selling about $700,000 worth of municipally owned properties in recent weeks, he has asked 21 of the city’s major nonprofit organizations to forge voluntary payment-in-lieu-of-taxes agreements with the city.
In negotiating such agreements, Brockton would join a number of other area communities, including Easton and Bridgewater, that receive similar annual payments.
Brockton has $5.4 billion in total property values, according to John Condon, the city’s finance director. Of that, about $1.01 billion is tax-exempt, he said.
Carpenter said he is only looking for “a piece of a piece” of what an organization would pay if it was not tax-exempt. Agencies on Carpenter’s list own at least $500,000 each in real property and do not include churches and small groups that are struggling.
Under the plan, said Bob Buckley, Carpenter’s chief of staff, the nonprofits would contribute 10 percent of what they would normally be assessed in taxes the first year, 20 percent the second year, and 30 percent from then on.
“We need to generate revenue; it’s as simple as that,’’ Buckley said. “You are seeing a budget crisis in full swing.Still, it is unclear how much of a difference such payments would make. According to a 2012 study by the Lincoln Institute of Land Policy, a Cambridge-based think tank, only a fraction of the state’s 32,000-plus nonprofits make such payments and the average amount collected is less than one-quarter of 1 percent of their general revenue.
In Brockton, targeted agencies include Father Bill’s & MainSpring, a homeless shelter and housing advocacy group; Signature Healthcare Brockton Hospital; High Point Treatment Centers Inc.; and the Old Colony YMCA.
Ward 2 City Councilor Tom Monahan said nonprofits make meaningful contributions in Brockton but they also drain public resources at a time that fire and emergency services cost about $1,000 a call.
Brockton’s Fire Department, for example, answered 294 calls from the Father Bill’s & MainSpring shelter last year, he said.
“At $1,000 a call, that’s almost $300,000 right there,’’ Monahan said.
There were also 143 calls from High Point and 104 calls from the Neighborhood Health Center, Monahan said. Some nonprofits like Brockton Hospital make money but opt to reinvest in themselves, he said.
“We are the social services capital of the state,’’ Monahan said, “and we aren’t getting anything in return.’’
A hospital spokeswoman did not return a request for comment, nor did executives at High Point or the YMCA.
Father Bill’s & MainSpring executive director John Yazwinski said part of the organization’s mission has been to reduce the number of people sleeping outside on city streets.
And while the agency shelters 255 people a night, the state has not raised its reimbursement rate in 14 years, Yazwinski said, adding that he fields ongoing requests for more services and beds in Plymouth and Wareham.
Father Bill’s does not make payments for its North Main Street shelter, but it does pay $10,000 a year in lieu of taxes on a 32-unit housing facility on Spring Street, officials said, and another $2,710 annual payment goes to the town of Hingham for the six-unit Commander Anderson House for veterans.
“Eighty-seven cents of every dollar goes right to the people we assist,’’ Yazwinski said. “We feel we are helping the community.”
Bridgewater Town Manager Michael Dutton said the town has received a $51,000 gift the past three years from Bridgewater State University, and last year the institution offered another $115,000 to be split among highway, police, and fire needs.
The town also receives about $279,000 from the Bridgewater Correctional Complex, he said.
“These efforts greatly depend on how good an agreement the town can make,’’ Dutton said.
Nearby, Stonehill College contributes about $40,000 a year to the town of Easton, according to college spokesman Martin McGovern.
It is appropriate for nonprofits to make payments to their host communities but it has to be within reason, said Michael Widmer, president of the Massachusetts Taxpayers Association, a business-backed organization focused on state and local fiscal, tax, and economic policies.
“If you can raise a little more money it’s helpful, especially if you’re not going to raise taxes at all,’’ he said. “But some of these groups are barely holding on.”
Carpenter is doing the right thing by setting the bar at properties valued at $500,000 and up, he said. But seeking 30 percent of that worth is ambitious, Widmer said.
Michele Morgan Bolton can be reached at michelebolton@live.com.