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Today we continue postings dedicated to the Franklin Town Council election. We contacted all 15 candidates by email and asked each of them the same questions and also asked for a response on our proposed “pledge.” [Could you also include whether you would support/agree to the Pledge we have proposed? (see: https://franklinobserver.town.news/g/franklin-town-ma/n/335372/editoria… ). Five candidates responded by the Oct.4 deadline: Jane Callaway-Tripp, Caroline Griffith, Stephen Malloy, Joe McGann, and Max Morongiello, were presented a few days ago. Today, we share three additional candidate submissions, namely Ken Ojukwu, Tom Mercer, and Gene Grella.
Ken Ojukwu
Questions for Town Council Candidates
A) Briefly discuss ‘who you are’ in no more than 150 words.
The first home I lived in was made of earth and bamboo. I grew up in a financially poor, spiritually rich family with my six siblings. I moved around a lot in my youth spending time primarily in Hawaii and Michigan before attending school in Massachusetts and starting my early career on Wall Street after college. I moved to Franklin in 2013 with my young family to work in Finance and Corporate Strategy at a large company nearby. My wife jokes that she knew I was going to favor Franklin when we took the exit off 495 and saw a sign touting some of the high school’s athletic exploits. For context, I was a multi-sport college athlete and wrestled at the national level. My wife and I chose Franklin because of its location between Boston & Providence, the strong school system (and athletic opportunities) and the low tax rate.
B) Briefly state why you are running for TC and why someone should vote for you (75 words max)
I’m running to keep this town a wonderful long-term option for my family and yours. My career has centered around finding solutions to complex financial, strategic & operational problems. I started paying attention to Franklin’s fiscal situation when my daughter lost her middle school music teacher. Since then, I’ve participated in many town meetings and served on the finance committee to find ways to strengthen the town. If elected, I will use my experience to serve Franklin.
1. Personal Impact of Tax Increases
We’ve heard arguments for and against a tax override, including what’s needed to maintain current services and suggestions to ask for even more. My question is:
How would a tax increase affect you personally and financially?
Would the increase be manageable for you, a financial strain, or have no impact?
I don’t want a tax increase. I’ve worked hard to get my family to a better financial situation than the one I grew up in. Even so, a tax increase would be burden for me as it would for many families in Franklin. That said, Franklin is facing a ~$2M deficit in the next fiscal year. To simply maintain what we have today, we need to find ways to close that gap and – having reviewed the towns finances – I don’t believe cutting costs alone will eliminate that deficit. Because inflation outpaces the allowed 2.5% tax rate increase, we need revenue growth to close the structural gap that exists. That likely means a combination of strategically attracting new businesses and new growth to minimize the tax burden on Franklin residents.
2. New Growth and Affordable Housing
A) What is your position on new growth in Franklin, in particular with regard to the town accepting of encouraging more so-called affordable housing?
My perspective on new growth is that it is critical that we implement a coordinated growth plan that positively impacts our community and our tax base. Owner-occupied affordable housing is important for both welcoming and housing essential members of the Franklin community.
B) How do you view the role of affordable housing in our town’s future—both its benefits and its challenges?
We must be cognizant of the impact of any new housing on the look and feel of the downtown, commercial, and residential areas as well as the traffic patterns in town. Affordable housing incorporated into a larger construction plan should be part of Franklin’s growth strategy to ensure housing for new homeowners (like teachers, firefighters, etc.) that our community needs. We need to recognize that with increased real estate prices, affordable housing provides access to many valuable members of the community including adult children of current Franklin residents
3. Senior Center and Revenue Shortfalls
The Town Administrator has projected potential closures—including the Senior Center—if revenue doesn’t increase. What is your position on closing the Senior Center?
I think the Senior Center serves a valuable purpose in Franklin. It helps to combat social isolation, address physical and mental health for our seniors, and provides access to resources and support services like nutrition assistance. I don’t believe we should ever close it if there is an alternative. It is an important component of our path forward and I want to find ways to avoid reducing services or a potential closure. That will depend on Franklin’s ability to identify additional revenue sources.
4. Rebuilding Trust and a Sense of Community
Franklin is divided. Many residents have expressed frustration with each other and mistrust in town leadership. If elected (or re-elected), how would you work to rebuild trust and help mend the divide in our community?
To mend the existing divide, I think it imperative that the next town council:
1. Outlines a clear identity and purpose that reminds residents that - despite disagreements – we are all want a stronger Franklin (note: The master plan starts this work but the existing 300 page document is not accessible to many busy Franklin residents who would benefit from a summarized version)
2. Facilitate community outreach and connection. I believe the Joint Budget Sub Committee meetings across multiple venues and formats served well to speak to and hear from Franklin residents outside of town hall. I propose continuing those discussions and hosting these sessions to discuss important town considerations – not just when seeking an override. This can also help address concerns of misinformation and insider politics that concern some residents
3. Creates a welcoming environment where residents are listened to respectfully – even when opinions differ
5. Budget Deficit and Future Overrides
We are facing a budget deficit, and two override attempts have failed.
How would you approach this challenge going forward?
Because of inflation and an unstable funding environment, I don’t believe we can cut our way to success. It may be part of a short-term plan, but our best path to fiscal stability is to identify and implement new sources of revenue.
Would you support another override or special election—and under what conditions?
I supported the previous override attempt and would support a future override attempt if we are unable to identify and implement other sources of revenue for the town
6. What other initiatives or directions do you believe the town should undertake to address its fiscal problems?
Franklin’s comparative advantage is our location and competitively low regional tax rate. We should leverage that to our advantage. If we utilize these asset to attract businesses we can grow our existing tax base without materially impacting existing homeowners
Could you also include whether you would support/agree to the Pledge we have proposed? (see: https://franklinobserver.town.news/g/franklin-town-ma/n/335372/editoria… )
I am self-funding my campaign and accepting no outside funding. That said, while I believe in local, grassroots efforts I am not convinced that all outside endorsements or contributions are negative. I do not currently support this pledge.
