Policy Platform

Ellen’s Priorities As Ward 5 Councilor

Keeping Our Families Safe

There are too many fast cars, motorcycles, and ATVs driving through Springfield’s residential areas and putting our families at risk. I will work with representatives from the Department of Public Works to identify high-traffic areas and develop a plan to install four-way stop signs and speed bumps where needed. I’ll also work to install a light at Greenleaf, so our seniors can exit safely onto Parker Street.

While violent crime continues to decline in Springfield, too many residents still experience the impact of violence in their everyday lives. As your councilor, I will work to provide a safe place for kids to go after school to keep them off the streets while coordinating with behavioral health organizations to give all our kids the opportunity to reach their full potential.

Supporting Small Businesses & Workers

The Boston Road district is floundering. D’Angelo’s is the latest among a slate of other local businesses to close. To revitalize this neighborhood and our city, I’ll work to make Boston Road an attractive place to start businesses and build new housing by increasing tax incentives and collaborating with developers and entrepreneurs.

While working with new businesses and developers, I’ll also listen closely to the needs of past and present residents and workers in the neighborhood to make sure that their voices are also closely heard in this process.

Fixing & Keeping Our Roads Clear

Springfield has a huge backlog of public works projects. Our roads need repair and potholes need to be addressed. I’d work to ensure that the Department of Public Work’s schedule for road repair is up to date and ensure that our worst streets are prioritized. To make this happen, I will allocate recently received federal funding for road repair. Furthermore, I’ll work with local residents to address old and outdated signs addressing children at play and those who are visibly impaired.

Right now, Springfield’s snowplowing services are farmed out to independent contractors, which means the work is often inadequate or patchy. I’ll propose we use our strong city budget to purchase our own vehicles and hire staff to operate them in the winter to make snow plowing reliable and hold operators accountable. 

Making Springfield a Place to Play

Improving Our Parks & Public Spaces

Springfield lacks public parks and places for us to enjoy our city, and some parks need additional supports to be maintained and utilized to their full potential. As your next city councilor, I’ll work with city and park officials to ensure our citizens have safe, dedicated recreation areas to enjoy. 

Springfield is one of the only metropolitan cities in Massachusetts that doesn’t have a dog park, and I’d advocate hard for one as your councilor. I’d also push for creating new public spaces, like a skate park and trails for outdoor recreation, to give young people healthy outlets for adventure.

In addition to creating new spaces, we need to invest in our existing public spaces – like Lake Massasoit. I live on the lake, and was proud to host community cleanup days to clean the lake of debris and trash. As your next Ward 5 city councilor, I will take that energy to spruce up our parks and protect green spaces around the city and make Springfield a safe place for us to live, work, and play.