Westford select board candidates debate taxes, trash rollout and climate goals

Select Board candidates at a League of Women Voters forum on April 15 laid out competing approaches to taxes, trash and local climate policy as Westford voters prepare for the May 5 ballot.

Moderated by Joanne Barry, the forum brought together incumbents and challengers for two contested 3‑year seats and a separate one‑year seat. The conversation ranged from immediate resident supports to longer‑term fiscal strategies. "We authorized a tax relief task force recently; we expect it will come up with recommendations that will help this community," said Chip Barrett, citing the board’s work on targeted tax relief. Barrett also emphasized improving communication about the town's existing programs.

Incumbent Chris Clay said the town will study other municipalities and more actively promote programs that already exist. "We can make better use of the programs that we have," Clay said, adding that a new budget analyst and economic‑development work could free capacity and broaden the commercial tax base.

Candidate Meghan O'Connell framed affordability as the central issue for families facing rising costs. She singled out the town’s tax composition — which she said has become heavily residential — and said the community should consider options such as a residential exemption. "Our ratio of commercial to residential taxes is way out of whack," O'Connell said, arguing that rebalancing could ease pressure on homeowners.

Trash policy proved another flashpoint. Candidates agreed that the pay‑as‑you‑throw program needs clear, accessible outreach. O'Connell warned the rollout has been "too much, too fast" for some families and suggested transitional measures for large households. Barrett and Clay emphasized multiple communication channels — community events, social media, a town‑wide mailer and an updated FAQ page — and staff availability to handle issues during the roll‑out.

On climate policy, most candidates supported Westford’s move toward becoming a Massachusetts Climate Leader but differed over mandates for private residential construction. "The goals are good," Barrett said; some candidates cautioned that specialized energy code requirements could increase upfront housing costs and recommended phasing in residential requirements to avoid pricing out buyers.

Across topics candidates repeatedly returned to engagement and transparency. Clay proposed a listening initiative with the DEI committee and school leaders to reach underrepresented communities; Barrett and others described task forces and benchmarking as tools to produce concrete recommendations.

The forum included a second round of candidates for a one‑year Select Board seat, where Scott Hazleton and Elizabeth Sawyer reiterated similar themes — fiscal prudence, regional collaboration and improved communications — and a candidate who emphasized construction and municipal operations experience.

The forum closed with each candidate urging voter participation on May 5 and promising further work on the town’s budget, infrastructure and community engagement.