Cape and Islands state senate candidates on workforce, water, inflation, Question 4
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With election day just around the corner, Cape and Islands state Senate hopefuls Sen. Julian Cyr, D-Truro, and Barnstable Republican Chris Lauzon shared their views on the region's workforce issues, inflation, water quality and Question 4.
The Cape and Islands region consists of the towns of Barnstable, Brewster, Chatham, Dennis, Eastham, Harwich, Orleans, Provincetown, Truro, Wellfleet and Yarmouth; the towns of Aquinnah, Chilmark, Edgartown, Gosnold, Oak Bluffs, Tisbury and West Tisbury on Martha's Vineyard and the entirety of Nantucket.
The district historically included the town of Mashpee, but due to redistricting laws passed in the state house earlier this year, Mashpee is now part of the Plymouth and Barnstable district effective for the 2022 election season.
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Incumbent Cyr has served as the district's state senator since 2017, when he defeated Bourne Republican Anthony Schiavi in the 2016 general election. Prior to his time in office, Cyr worked at the Massachusetts Department of Public Health as director of policy and regulatory efforts for environmental health.
He will embark on his fourth term in office if re-elected in November.
Lauzon, a political newcomer, was born and raised in Barnstable. He is a businessman and works at his family's Hyannis auto repair shop Alignments Plus. Before that, he was a deckhand and first mate with Hy-Line Cruises.
The Cape Cod Times asked the candidates about plans for workforce recruitment, inflation, water quality and Question 4.
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Housing key for workforce recruitment
Both candidates agree the biggest roadblock to recruiting and keeping workers in the region is housing.
"Any conversation about workforce has to start and end with housing," Cyr said. "Cape Cod and the Islands are an incredibly desirable place to live, but we know more and more of our workers are living off-Cape and commuting for work."
He said there are increasingly more strong employment opportunities in the region, especially in professions such as construction, healthcare, finance and municipal positions like teachers, police officers and firefighters, but the challenge in recruiting workers for these positions is the cost of housing.
"To afford the median home price in Barnstable County, a family needs to make over $180,000," Cyr said. "That's a lot of money, and you need to be able to compete in a real estate market where there's very little inventory, and you're going up against people with things like cash-only offers."
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Lauzon echoed this — issues in recruiting workers to the region often boils down to the lack of available housing.
"We need more housing for these professional positions, that's one of the biggest reasons we see these jobs go unfilled," he said. "Police, fire, town jobs and healthcare all go unfilled because they can't attract people because there's nowhere to live."
There's not one singular solution to the region's housing crisis, he said.
Housing is also interconnected with other problems the region is facing, Lauzon said, such as aging roads and bridges and wastewater infrastructure. Working towards a multi-pronged approach for these issues will help address housing as well.
If elected, Lauzon plans to go over existing housing legislation and regulations to identify what has worked in the past and what hasn't.
"There's no one cure for this, and we really need to work on this aggressively to make this happen," he said. "This isn't a short-term thing, this is going to take time, but we need to start working on this earnestly to get these professionals back into our community."
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Although both candidates agreed there's no one solution to the housing problem, Cyr said he hopes to focus on urging municipalities to get into the housing business.
"Provincetown and Nantucket are getting very aggressive on housing production for year-round people, not just affordable housing, but housing for everyone," he said. "Really what's needed is zoning reform and a strong revenue stream to build and preserve the housing we need."
Cyr sees the future of addressing the housing crisis as possibly needing to force the hands of municipalities when it comes to developments and zoning laws.
"Too often the 'Not In My Backyard' voices drown out the majority of Cape Codders and Islanders who are just seeking to make a life here," he said.
Beacon Hill is not likely to subsidize housing projects in the district, Cyr added, so a strong revenue stream is desperately needed.
"Federal tax credits for housing developments often are geared towards large affordable housing projects, which isn't necessarily the scale of projects we have," he said. "This is why I've been aggressively pushing a transfer fee on luxury real estate, which would provide a local revenue stream. I think we're going to have to get really creative."
Addressing inflation at state level
Higher costs of living is something that has a deep effect on the region, Lauzon said, but addressing inflation, which is more of a national problem, at the state level can be difficult.
"There's only so much we can do on the state and local levels," he said, "but part of what we can do is getting the money in the massive surplus back to the people, which is supposed to happen next month."
Getting this money back to the taxpayers isn't enough, though. If elected, Lauzon said he wants to research what is being taxed and where the money is going, to eliminate unnecessary fees.
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"The fact the state had this massive surplus is a problem," he said. "If we can cut back on taxes and fees that everyone's paying throughout the year, that helps everyone, especially low-income people, keep more money in their pockets."
Inflation remains a challenge for Cape Codders and Islanders, Cyr said.
"It really pinches people and only exacerbates existing challenges," he said.
Cyr agreed with Lauzon on returning the state surplus directly back to the taxpayers, but would like to see a cap put in place on how much taxpayers can receive back from the state — as it stands, each resident will receive a credit equal to 13% of their 2021 personal income tax liability, meaning people who had a higher income will get a bigger check.
"These kinds of policies further inflation," Cyr said. "I'd like to see it implemented with a cap of $2,000 or $3,000."
Lauzon does not support a cap on the amount taxpayers can receive from the surplus return.
"I feel like the way it's set up is the most equitable way that is practical," he said. "Those who had a smaller tax liability will get a smaller amount back, even though it's the same percentage, but if we cut back the fees we all have to pay throughout the year that will help those people."
How to address water quality
There are a number of things that can be done at the local level to address the region's declining water quality, Lauzon said.
Orleans recently approved a ban on fertilizer used in the town at its Oct. 17 special Town Meeting, and it's hoping for state legislation to enforce the ban, he said.
"That's certainly something to look at, the use of commercial fertilizers," he said. "Not completely restrict it, but they are overused, and that affects water quality. That would be something the state could do, working with local officials to help address fertilizer."
Wastewater infrastructure updates are another key element to addressing water quality in the region, Lauzon added, but the cost associated is a concern for towns across the district.
"Funding is an issue, because it's going to cost a lot of money no matter what," he said. "I would certainly be an ally to the districts in getting as much state and federal funding as we can to lessen the burden on taxpayers for those kinds of projects."
Cyr said, in his opinion, the biggest thing he has done to address the region's declining water quality was spearheading the Cape Cod and Islands Water Protection Fund, which uses a 2.75% surcharge on traditional lodgings and short-term rentals to fund wastewater initiatives.
To date it has generated more than $29 million in direct subsidies for projects, he said, and realized more than $90 million in wastewater projects across the region.
"It's a real game-changer," Cyr said. "The projects across the region are being made possible in part due to the fund. This is above and beyond funding that comes from the Clean Water Trust and the state revolving loan trust programs."
Cyr said there are active conversations to bring Martha's Vineyard and Nantucket in the fund as well.
"There's some additional work that's needed, particularly with fresh water," he said. "But there's always efforts to bring more money to this fund, and we're going to continue those efforts."
Question 4: Should undocumented immigrants be allowed to get a driver's license?
Lauzon and Cyr split on the issue of Question 4, an upcoming ballot initiative concerning recently passed legislation allowing undocumented people to obtain driver's licenses in the state.
Lauzon said he does not support the law, concerned with the potential on public safety and issues in the licensing process.
"The way the law is written, issuing the exact same standard license an American citizen could get opens the door for potential fraud," he said. "The RMV and local town clerks don't have the ability to verify identities through various foreign documents."
Advocates have said the law will make driving safer by giving undocumented people the ability to buy insurance, but Lauzon disagreed.
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"I don't agree with the premise that it's going to make the roads safer," he said. "Just because someone has a drivers license doesn't make them more likely to purchase insurance or register a vehicle."
He is also concerned with the potential that the law would encourage undocumented people to move to Massachusetts.
"This law could be another possible incentive, which is why it's dangerous to talk of being a sanctuary state or having sanctuary municipalities with benefits for undocumented people, and a driver's license is certainly a benefit," he said. "This could make Massachusetts a more attractive place for illegal immigrants to come."
Cyr is a strong supporter of the law, and sees it as having a positive effect on road safety.
"We need to be honest that we have drivers on our streets right now who do not have a drivers license or car insurance because of their immigration status," he said. "They are driving, and no matter what we do, they are on the road."
Not having a drivers license or insurance as an undocumented person can make someone less likely to want to interact with law enforcement, he added, potentially endangering officers in the case of an emergency.
Cyr also said he does not agree that the law will incentivize undocumented immigrants to move to Massachusetts, asserting that the biggest draw for where immigrants settle is largely where family or friends are already living.
"I've seen no data correlating a state's (drivers license) policies, whether the state is friendly or adverse to immigrants, as an incentive," he said. "This is just common sense, good public safety policy."
Being present in community
Lauzon spoke at an Oct. 18 candidate forum hosted by the West Barnstable Civic Association, and said he was disappointed to see Cyr did not attend, something he said is indicative of Cyr's regard for the community.
"That is has been consistent throughout this campaign that Sen. Cyr has declined invitations for events such as the candidates forum," Lauzon said. "He (Cyr) has declined debate invitations, he's not seen in the community and I've been told over and over again he's not responsive when people reach out to him. As a constituent of his, I'm disappointed that I've never even met him."
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Cyr said while he could not attend the Oct. 18 candidates forum due to agreeing several months ago to speak at a mental health meeting in Boston, he maintains he is an active and visible part of the Cape and Islands communities.
"This is a tired talking point, and for those of us who live on the outer Cape or on the islands, it is frankly insulting," he said. "It's a big district, and you can't be everywhere, but I live and spend all of my time on Cape Cod. We show up everywhere we can, but it's also important to deliver results for the district and I think my time in office has been remarkably productive."
Cyr said the two candidates are scheduled to debate on Oct. 24 on WCAI, and added his campaign has not been invited by any non-partisan or non-politically affiliated news outlet or group to debate Lauzon.
"I'm glad to debate and have any kind of conversation," Cyr said, "but it has to be on a non-partisan news outlet."
Cyr can be found online at senatorcyr.com or on Twitter @JulianCyr
Lauzon can be found online at votelauzon.com or on Twitter @Lauzon2022
Contact Sarah Carlon at scarlon@capecodonline.com. Follow her on Twitter: @sarcarlon.
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This article originally appeared on Cape Cod Times: Cape and Islands state senate candidates discuss district issues
