In the News
Saunders Proposes Gas Tax Relief
Tax Credit Up To $300 for Families
BELCHERTOWN, MA - Aaron Saunders, candidate for State Representative in the the 7th Hamden District today announced his intention to file legislation providing a gas tax credit for residents of Massachusetts. The plan as outlined would provide any taxpayer with a valid Massachusetts drivers license and vehicle registration with a $150 refundable credit to offset the cost of the state’s gas tax. Families with more than one vehicle would be eligible for up to $300 under the plan.
“Folks in Western Mass depend on their cars and trucks to get where they need to go.” Said Saunders, “Families in our region don’t need idle complaints about gas prices, they need relief from rising fuel costs and this plan provides a clear and attainable path for just that.”
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Belchertown’s Saunders announces bid for 7th Hampden District seat
Greenfield Recorder 2/2/2022
A former Ludlow selectman has announced his candidacy for the state House of Representatives’ 7th Hampden District, which will now include Franklin County and North Quabbin towns under redistricting plans.
Aaron Saunders, of Belchertown, is vying for the spot Rep. Jake Oliveira is giving up to run for the state Senate seat Eric Lesser will abandon to focus on his campaign for lieutenant governor. All are Democrats. Saunders served seven years on the Ludlow Selectboard and spent six as the chief of staff for former state Sen. Gale Candaras.
“I saw a lot of the good that can be done when you have effective people in office,” he said, adding that he announced his candidacy “at a time when we really need strong leadership on Beacon Hill.”
Saunders, 41, said his priorities include advocating for increased local aid, preserving open space, supporting regional economic development, and fighting for mental health and addiction recovery resources. He also said the region receives a woefully inadequate amount of money from the State-Owned Land (SOL) PILOT Program. PILOT stands for “payments in lieu of taxes.”
According to the Office of State Auditor Suzanne Bump, state lawmakers will sometimes exempt places — such as outdoor recreation spaces and some solar energy production areas — from paying property taxes if they believe it is for the public good. However, property taxes account for an average of 58.3% of local government revenue. The SOL PILOT Program empowers lawmakers to reimburse municipalities through direct payments or other methods.
Bump has sponsored a bill to fix the SOL PILOT Program by fully reimbursing communities for the taxable value of state-owned land and ensuring their state reimbursement never decreases.
Saunders said the 7th Hampden District currently consists of parts of Belchertown, Chicopee, Springfield and Ludlow. But, he said, redistricting maps set to go into effect in January 2023 means this fall will mark the first time voters cast ballots as residents of the new 7th Hampden District, which will include Belchertown, New Salem, Wendell, Ludlow, Pelham, Shutesbury and Petersham.
“It’s a very new district in terms of geography and political identity,” Saunders said.
Saunders is the co-founder of Loophole Brewing, which opened in Ludlow about three months before the country came to a near standstill due to the COVID-19 pandemic. He said that was “an interesting time to launch a business, but the craft brewery now has 800 accounts throughout Massachusetts, Connecticut and Rhode Island. He said the renaissance of microbrew in the region has been an important lifeline, bringing in tourists from all over.
Saunders lives with his wife, Melissa, and their three daughters. He and his wife are 2003 graduates of the University of Massachusetts Amherst. He said his family has been incredibly supportive of his decision to run for a state representative seat.
“If you don’t have your family with you,” he said, “it’s darn near impossible to get it done.”
Reach Domenic Poli at: dpoli@recorder.com or 413-772-0261, ext. 262.
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Former Ludlow Selectman announces candidacy for state legislature
WAMC Northeast Public Radio 2/24/2022
Aaron Saunders seeks Democratic nomination in newly-drawn 7th Hampden District
A former selectboard member in Ludlow, who also served as chief-of-staff to a State Senator, has announced a bid for a seat in the legislature from western Massachusetts.
Democrat Aaron Saunders is running to represent the 7th Hampden District in the Massachusetts House. The newly redrawn sprawling district stretches from the Springfield suburbs to rural towns in Franklin and Worcester Counties.
The incumbent, Representative Jake Oliveira, is running for the Democratic nomination for the State Senate seat currently occupied by Eric Lesser, who is a Democratic candidate for lieutenant governor.
WAMC’s Pioneer Valley Bureau Chief Paul Tuthill spoke with Saunders.
Aaron Saunders
With Representative Oliveira indicating he's running for Senate, it leaves an opportunity for Western Massachusetts and specifically the towns of the 7th Hampdon to have strong and effective leadership on their behalf at a time where we really need it.
Paul Tuthill
And why do you believe you are the person to take that role?
Aaron Saunders
Well, in part, it's the experience that I have both in municipal government as a Select Board member in Ludlow for seven years, as well as my time in the State House as chief of staff to former Senator (Gale) Candaras for six years. It gives me the opportunity to hit the ground running as a small business owner, I've gotten accustomed to the challenges that a lot of small businesses and residents out here have faced in the midst of COVID. And I'm hopeful that these experiences will allow me to be effective on behalf of the communities and the residents here to enact some real change.
Paul Tuthill
What real change specifically are you are you talking about?
Aaron Saunders
Well, I think the top of the list is regional equity for Western Mass. And I know this is something that is often said, but not often enacted, you know, for communities in the northern part of this district. And throughout for that matter, ensuring that the Commonwealth lives up to its obligation to fully fund state owned land PILOTS, provide the compensation that these communities deserve, and really need. The regional economic development engines in Springfield and the University of Massachusetts need continued support, because an awful lot of folks who reside in this district go to work there, and their livelihoods depend on it. You know, third, I look forward to joining the legislative team on some of the pressing issues that we have, whether it's climate change, whether it's refocusing ourselves on the devastating effects of addiction and ensuring there's adequate mental health resources for folks out here and across the Commonwealth. The list goes on, and I'm eager to take on the challenge.
Paul Tuthill
The the state has billions of dollars still available in COVID recovery money, ARPA money, Municipalities have tens of millions of dollars that they received directly. Is that money being put to good use at this at this juncture
Aaron Saunders
Well, the short answer is that there's always more that can be done. And the trick here is spending wisely and putting those dollars to the most effective use. There are some needs in Western Mass that are unique. In terms of their relative impact, I would advocate for the appropriate use of ARPA funding on the UI Trust Fund, so that the impacts of closures and impacts of COVID generally on our small businesses in Western Mass are not being doubled through the increase in UI rates. I think that our resiliency, in terms of what's next is going to be top of mind. We can't just be responsive, we need to look forward and figure out a way to put the funds within the constraints that the federal government has sent to ensure if and when we're faced with another challenge, like COVID, we're able to go into it with more confidence that we can come out of it stronger.
Paul Tuthill
The district used to include a part of the city of Springfield, basically the Indian Orchard Neighborhood, but it no longer includes any of the city of Springfield it's now a suburban district, if you will. Does that change things much?
Aaron Saunders
It's a unique district for sure. In terms of touching four counties. It cuts across two congressional districts and the needs of Wendell and the needs of Petersham, and Shutesbury. there are common threads with the needs of Ludlow and Belchertown. But what doesn't change is the fact that Western Mass as a region and our legislative delegation has to be a team, we can't be siloed into our specific communities that pits suburban legislators against urban legislators. The Hampden County versus Hampshire County, we're all in this together in the regional needs that we have in order to be successful in meeting them requires a regional response. And I'm excited to join that team, if I'm able to earn the support to be elected.
Paul Tuthill
So what's the most important role you see a state legislator playing?
Aaron Saunders
It's being responsive. It's being responsive to your constituents. It's being responsive to your communities, and then it's being effective. It's easy to say the right things. You know, everyone is for education. Everyone is for jobs. But being able to use your role as state representative to help affect positive change for those constituents in those communities, is an entirely different kettle of fish. And I believe that I bring a unique set of experiences and expertise to this role that will allow me to not only be responsive, but also to be effective.
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