Winthrop Farwell, Jr. - Brockton City Councilor at Large

A BRIEF COMMENTARY...
James O'Brien, Esquire is our City Solicitor appointed by Mayor Moises Rodrigues. He is an excellent addition to our city leadership team.

I've had numerous conversations with him on a wide variety of topics including the Boys and Girls Club political machinations, employees on worker's compensation and passage of ordinances by the city council.

To avoid a mistake such as the recent trash fee $40 bill, I think the law department and solicitor should be notified immediately by the council when an ordinance is approved. The law department can then notify the city department(s) which may be affected by the ordinance and provide legal guidance on what is required and allowed.

I like government commonsense!

Have a great weekend.

Congratulations to our graduating seniors. May your future be blessed with happiness and success in all your endeavors.

TO MY FELLOW BROCKTON RESIDENTS
Please read! The $40 trash fee bill was sent in error.

Every day we rise and live our lives in this great country, that day should also be remembered as a Memorial Day.

SPECIAL VETERAN’S CELEBRATION - ON A HOT AFTERNOON

Today, I presented a Brockton City Council Citation to a very special man.

John Messia, Jr. is 91 years old. He lives in Brockton with his wife Jacqueline who will be 90 in July. One of their sons, John M. Messia, served in the Mayor’s Office for 5+ years.

The elder Mr. Messia lived in Boston growing up, enlisted into the USMC at age 17, and missed receiving his high school diploma decades ago because of his service during the Korean War.

After the war he served 37 years as a Boston police officer and detective, receiving a Medal of Honor during his department time.

Today, Cpl. John Messia, officially received his high school diploma from the Boston Public Schools. Christina Connors, Director of Records for Boston schools presented the diploma and had copies of his grade reports. (What? Government can retrieve these reports from the 1950’s?) She and I took a selfie.

State Rep. Bridget Plouffe and Boston City Councilor Ed Flynn presented Citations as did staff from Senator Michael Brady, Boston Mayor Michelle Wu and Boston Police Commissioner Michael Cox. David Farrell from the Brockton Veterans Office joined us.

Having time to talk with Mr. Messia and his wife is an honor I’ll never forget. His recall of service to our country is extraordinary.

God Bless them for years to come.

SO FAR, YOU’VE PAID $115,646.59
On April 1, 2026, I posted about this issue involving school department funds. Here is an update.

FACTS:
*The screenshot below is from the public website for the MA P.O.S.T. Commission, which certifies individuals to act as police officers in our state.
*This person had his certification to serve as a police officer suspended.
*He's been paid $115,000+ since last July 1st, full benefits - including time toward his pension.
*I contacted the schools and certain school committee members – but the payments continue.
*Important to note: Two (2) school committee members are designated to sign financial warrants and approve school department expenditures. There can be no suggestion this issue is unknown.

As the school committee claims “tension” with the city over school budgets and funding, try looking at your own payroll records.
https://www.enterprisenews.com/story/news/education/2026/05/14/brockton-public-schools-budget-cuts-teachers-layoffs/90058779007/

In my opinion, officials who disrespect taxpayers show an arrogance and indifference which is completely improper.

Best regards to you and your family for the weekend.

HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY...
To Mothers everywhere, enjoy this very special day!

For my Mom in Heaven:
Thank you for instilling in me important values, the importance of integrity, the goal of doing your very best in whatever endeavor you choose, for all your patience while I was growing up.

Every day I carry with me your love and all you gave to me. Give Dad a hug up there! How I miss him, too!

WHAT EVERY PUBLIC OFFICIAL OWES YOU…

Tell the truth. Present the facts. Support your arguments with appropriate laws, rules or regulations which all contribute to a successful community.

*Chapter 483 of the Acts of 2004 was passed by our legislature.
*That law allowed Brockton to borrow money to address unfunded pension liabilities including certain school employee retirement benefits, with approval of the city retirement board, chief financial officer and mayor.
*Funds were borrowed and payments made.
*The city has periodic meetings with the MA Department of Revenue. It was learned the city overpaid the pension costs and interest charges for certain school employees.
*That “overpayment” amount belongs to the residents to be used as needed for road reconstruction, public safety, the annual budget and other city services.
*The mayor will ultimately make a final determination on the amount of overpayment which the schools owe to the city residents. Only the mayor (not the CFO) can submit appropriations to fund city departments, including the school department.

In my position as a Councilor-at-Large I have “no friends.” By that I mean, the mayor, chief financial officer and other city officials must be held accountable for their work, their duties and responsibilities, and their conduct in office.

That said, I have no doubt Mayor Rodrigues will act in the best interests of the city, the schools, and the residents as we discuss city and school finances. The same is true for CFO Clarkson. I’m not the only councilor watching and holding officials accountable.

Let’s also get this out in the open: There is open hostility toward Dr. Clarkson by certain officials. He’s been subjected at meetings to ignorant and derogatory public comments by some school committee members and even called a liar.

Watch some of the meetings. At a time when you need to inspire the support of the public and obtain funds for a new high school, that kind of behavior hardly inspires confidence in the committee.

We also have juvenile cartoons and comments posted on social media. If some people want to re-live their junior high school days, enjoy yourselves.

The finances of the City of Brockton are critical. Those finances are the foundation for everything we provide for services in our community. Financial matters deserve nothing less than our clear, accurate analysis of what the city can afford, now and in the future.

Have a great week. Thanks for reading this.

SOUNDING AN EARLY WARNING - FOLLOW THIS ISSUE CAREFULLY!

*The push is on for the city to purchase the Aquaria Water plant in Dighton, MA.
*The potential price mentioned Monday night at a city council meeting is $55 million.
*If an 18-year-old water plant is that valuable, why hasn’t any other town purchased water or the plant itself?
*If a purchase agreement were to be approved, the final price would be determined at that time.
*Borrowing $55 million or some other amount would require payments for principal and interest.
*Full disclosure: the payments of principal and interest would likely be lower than what we pay for Aquaria water now, but wait, there’s more…
*The cost of staffing the plant or hiring a company to operate the plant, along with required federal/state inspections, maintenance, insurance, and utility costs (electricity) are unknown.
*Brockton isn’t a rich city: borrowing for Aquaria and possible Brockton High School building construction is big $$$.

Finally, please remember MA General Laws Chapter 40, Section 38.
YOU should be allowed to vote to approve or not approve buying the Aquaria Water plant.
Here is the link to that law:
https://malegislature.gov/Laws/GeneralLaws/PartI/TitleVII/Chapter40/Section38

Thanks for reading this.

WHY I VOTED "NO" TO ADVANCE THE TRASH FEE LAST NIGHT...

FACTS:
*From our residents, the city collects real estate property taxes, motor vehicle excise taxes, fees for building permits, fees for certain city licenses (alcoholic beverage, package stores) and costs for official copies of documents from the City Clerk's Office, among others.

*All of these revenues, or money paid to the city by residents and business owners, become part of funds available for the annual city budget for each city department.

*Even if we did not have a "Refuse Enterprise Account" which charges residents for trash pickup, we would have a Mayor's Office, a Human Resources Office, a Law Department, a Public Property Department, an Information Technology Department, etc.

*However, and it IS perfectly legal, the city chooses to impose "Indirect Costs" to our Enterprise Funds for the costs of those departments. (See screen shot below.) Why - because the money is needed.

*If residents are already paying their taxes to support city departments, why do we hit them again with "Indirect Costs" for Mayor, HR, Law, Public Property and the IT department? Pension and fringe benefits costs ARE legitimate specifically because the Refuse Department Employees are entitled to those benefits.

*For this fiscal year (2026) $746,192 in indirect costs are charged to the Refuse Enterprise Account which requires a trash fee adjustment.

*We do not have a projected trash fee cost for the next 3-5 years. What are other communities facing for increases, if any?

CONCLUSION
The "Indirect Cost" issue deserves a deep dive by the Council. Will further increases be needed?

*What are other communities paying for curbside trash pickup?

I'll be in trouble for posting on this issue, but knowledge is power.
Thanks for reading this.

BROCKTON FIRE IS ALWAYS ACTIVE
Windy day and a fire behind Westgate Lanes!
(My daughter came out of Market Basket and caught this response. )