Eight years ago, the last time Newton voters were faced with an open seat in the corner office — a contested field that included two aldermen, a state rep and two outsiders — was pretty much the only thing Newton political junkies and activists wanted to talk about.
This year — judging by participation on this blog, local list serve discussions, social media activity and random conversations across the city — a contested field that includes three city councilors and a few possible outsiders, Newton’s mayoral contest doesn’t seem to be generating much passion.
And certainly it’s not generating the heat that the charter debate is.
So let’s talk about the mayoral contest. Have you selected a candidate yet? Are there issues you need to hear the candidates talk about other than the charter? As we all know, elections of chief executives matter. So why is there so little excitement so far for this contest?
I would like to hear the candidates lay out their plans for preserving Webster Woods (i.e., the Mishkan Tefilah land). Not a general, vague commitment to conservation, but a hard plan backed by numbers.
Part of the difference is that we don’t have good, hard reporting driving this campaign. I think people are starved for information but find it hard to find. Even tougher are the School Committee and City Council races.
This blog is an exception but not enough. We need more from the current TAB, Globe, etc. These are great stories with nobody covering them.
Anyone want to start a new paper? : )
@Greg — how about featuring the NewTV footage of the forum NBN sponsored at end of April?
http://vp.telvue.com/preview?id=T01443&video=313624
Am I the only one who cannot get the NBN video to load?
Also @Richard Saunders: It’s nice to see you participating here but here’s some free advice: Shorter comments please. Only Fignewtonville writes long comments that are worth reading from start to finish.
@Michael you’re not wrong. Democracy requires information. Without it we’re making blind decisions.
However, my experience is slightly different than Greg’s. I’ve had a number of people ask me about it, but only about the three councilors. No one seems to know the other three candidates.
I’m not suggesting that no one is talking about it, they are. But rather that this contest has yet to generate the kind of focus that a decision of this magnitude should. And Michael is 100 percent right, the lack of focus from professional journalists is a real injustice.
We should be reading professionally reported examinations of the candidates, their life stories, their campaign finances and the issues. But none of that has happened and I don’t know how it possibly can with one reporter at the TAB and only minimal coverage of Newton from Globe West.
Events at the national level are capturing everyone’s attention right now. That being said, the local candidates are working hard to engage voters and should be commended for their efforts.
This could be the municipal election with the highest turnout ever. Stay tuned or tune in at some point. The future of the city is at stake.
Jack – That forum was a set up for the no on the charter vote. How about a forum without an agenda?
@Jane — It was sponsored by Neighbors for a Better Newtonville and had nothing to do with Charter. It did have a major focus on development issues. The charter was covered only briefly at very end.
NewTV did a great job capturing it and it should get some air time for the “cable cutters” among us. The candidates are all to be commended for participating.
Did all of the announced candidates participate in the forum?? I think it does the city an injustice when all of the candidates don’t participate in the debates or endorsements. I immediately drop any endorsement/debate that doesn’t include all the candidates.
When I ran in 2005 it’s difficult to get in front of a group of people. All I heard is that they needed to atleast invite all the candidates to the discussion just to be fair. I heard that the NTA endorsement didn’t include all the candidates. I am sure the other 2 unions was the same. That’s not right. They all work hard and deserve to be in the discussion.
@Tom — The NBN forum had Amy, Ruthanne, and Scott. I think they were all that had announced by the time the forum was being organized.
Ruthanne and Scott have been on NewTV Common Ground thus far and I believe Amy is due up next:
http://www.newtv.org/video/common-ground/
Maybe the Newton Needham Chamber can sponsor a “Meet the Candidates”. I bet it would be well attended.
I received a phone survey on the mayoral election the other day, asking about the three city councilors running. There were also questions about the charter commission’s ward rep proposal and about Setti Warren’s record as mayor, among other things. I asked who was sponsoring the poll but got no answer, not that I expected one. Did anyone ask and get an answer?
Are any high-profile debates scheduled yet?
I heard yesterday that things are being planned after the preliminary which is a shame.
I was invited to one Mayoral forum by the Green Newton group, tentatively scheduled for 4:30 pm on June 27th and was told that the three city councilors in the race had already accepted their invites.
I thanked Green Newton for the inclusion and enthusiastically accepted the invitation. I was looking forward to it and spent time preparing for it.
A week or so later I received a notice that “after some discussion” the group had decided not to hold this event. They asked if I would be available on Thurs. Sept. 28th at 7 pm instead?
I replied that since they decided to exclude all candidates except for the two who would be on the November ballot, I would respectfully decline the invite on principle if I happened to be one of the two remaining candidates.
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All of the union endorsements released so far did not include (to my knowledge) solicitations for pitches from the announced candidates – my guess is that they only considered those candidates who actively solicited them. I have no quarrel with that; however I do not solicit endorsements and do not intend to.
Organizations, like voters are free to examine the contest and choose their candidates. I’m not a politician by nature and will act in accordance with my own principles and will conduct myself in what may seem to be an unorthodox way at times. Begging for endorsements in the hope that these “influencers” will convince others to vote for me doesn’t fit my personality type.
I will either directly win the confidence of the voting public or I won’t. My success will not be dependent on my soliciting endorsements from those who might then feel that I will owe them something outside of what I had already openly advocated. For that same reason, I am not directly contacting potential donors.
If anyone sees what I am about and what I am advocating and decides on their own to support my candidacy with a donation, that is very much appreciated; but it also must be understood that a donation curries no special favor and that I am just as likely to engage with and support the needs of any concerned citizen and will not place donors in the front of that line.
The Newton Municipal Employees Association recently sent me a questionnaire. I was happy to return it with my answers and would be delighted to receive their unsolicited endorsement. In any event, I applaud their professionalism and their outreach to all of the announced candidates. The other unions should take notice and perhaps learn a lesson on the best practice that the NMEA demonstrated in how they handled this process, imo. At least one of the unions gave out their endorsement even before anyone could take out nomination papers! I believe that was an unprofessional, premature and unnecessary rush to judgement. I acknowledge that it was certainly within their rights though.
For the record, over the course of my working life, I have held union cards with the CWA (Communications Workers of America), The IBEW (International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers) and the ATU (Amalgamated Transit Union).
In the 1980’s, I twice walked picket lines in protest of AT&T’s outsourcing of jobs. I believe that I am the true labor champion in this race. I am first and foremost, a people manager, not a money manager; although I can do that also, as my B.S. in Business Admin attained with high honors (Magna Cum Laude) might suggest.
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Isn’t one of the major issues for the mayoral campaign going to be the looming school budget issue and projected shortfalls over the next few years?
I’d like to hear from each of the candidates where they stand on supporting a potential tax override during their first term to ensure level funding for our K-12 schools in the face of growing retiree health costs.
Outcome of the election likely will have a huge impact on this but I’ve not seen much discussion.
The three candidates that were invited to the Mayoral forum linked above if we would likely call for an override in our first term. I said “Yes”. There’s some additional work that needs to be done in terms of our budgeting. Mayor Warren Administration utilized “Outcome based” budgeting practices. I believe, we need to ensure that the outcomes identified by our department heads align with the outcomes our residents expect from these services by working collaboratively with the City Council and the School Committee and ensure an open and transparent public process. Mayor Warren did that early on in his Administration but there hasn’t been follow-up – which I believe is extremely important. There may be some efficiencies we can realize looking at our Administrative positions but at the end of the day, if we want excellent services – schools, we have to continue to invest in them.
@Jack I agree; the NBN forum was incredibly informative. I hope V14 will post as well as other outlets. I also look forward to more ways to find out about candidates.
As is often the case, those with the largest fund pool garner the most publicity and interest. A good reason to hold more such fora. Though attendance may be low, videos will be a good way to make that information available to a wider audience.
@Jane not only way the NBN forum not about the Charter Commission, in the hour and a half there was, I believe, only one question about the CC. Other topics of interest were the fiscal state of the city, unfunded liabilities, and infrastructure – exactly the topics one would expect a qualified candidate to be informed about. The NBN video gives candidates with clear statements of their vision. A must see.
It is worth our efforts to seek out what we can, where we can to make an informed choice about our next mayor. I hope all media will help level the playing field by disseminating the words and visions of the candidates.
@Greg: I had a hard time loading it too. You can view it from my FB page:
https://www.facebook.com/AmySangioloforNewton/
Also – sorry about the typo in my earlier post. Must have coffee before posting.
Should have said: The three candidates invited to the Mayoral forum, linked above, were asked if we would likely call for an override in our first term. I said “Yes”.
Our mayoral candidates are Scott Lennon, Ruthanne Fuller, Amy Sangiolo and Richard Saunders, Al Ciecchinelli and Geoffrey Woodward.
I would like to see a debate before the primary. I’m disappointed to hear that a debate in June was cancelled. It’s unfair to voters to not to know as much about the candidates who are not or have not been councilors. I know next to nothing about Geoffrey Woodward and Richard Saunders.
BTW Greg, I really dislike your label choice of “outsiders.” It feeds the philosophy of insiders and outsiders in Newton unnecessarily.
Some questions I would like the mayoral candidates to answer.
Will you continue to fund benefits and salary at the same time?
Will you continue to pay down the accrued liability in pension and healthcare obligations by 2029 and 2040, respectively?
How will you tackle drug addiction in Newton’s schools and otherwise? Do you support the PATH program? What else could we be doing?
How will you better identify and improve outreach to at-risk children. How will you approach the problems of offering internships and other programs without providing transportation?
What is your position on local historic districts.
Explain your position on the proposed new charter.
Explain your position on the need for diverse economic housing development, density, and Newton’s growth in general.
But Marti, Saunders, Ciecchinelli and Woodward really are outsiders, especially Saunders and Woodward. (Ciecchinelli has been involved in Newton/GOP politics for years and once ran for alderman). So why not label folks what they are?
Also, does anyone know if any of these, um, “outsiders” have submitted their signatures and/or been certified? And has anyone looked recently to see if anyone else has pulled papers for mayor? I haven’t.
I believe that candidates who are certified to be on the ballot should be included in any candidate forums but I don’t think anyone who simply pulls papers should be automatically entitled to be part of any forums happening between now and the filing deadline. I’d favor leaving that decision to the discretion of the event organizers.
@Greg,
I find it ironic that you are looking to the candidates to come on the blog and talk about issues and let us all get to know them. And then when one does, you chastise him for the length of his comment. Isn’t the idea that a candidate gets themselves out there with their ideas and plans so that voters can make an informed decision come election time?
I don’t know Mr.Saunders but I would imagine that as an “outsider” (your description), you feel he has less chance in the election. I question if you would have made a similar comment to one of the “front runners” had they posted in length.
The more we know, the better the process. Let the reader decide if the post is too long!
@TheWholeTruth: I am a reader!
I find it ironic that I helped create a community blog where people can express their views but I’m often chastised for expressing my views as if I have a special role that excludes me from having opinions.
But also: I didn’t tell Rich Sanders that he should write shorter posts, I made a suggestion (or as I put it “free advice”). And, yes, if one of our sitting councilor candidates were rambling on, I would make the same suggestion. I’ve been called many things but shy is not one of them.
The Preliminary Election is 8 days after Labor Day so it’s made the endorsement process more difficult than in previous years. Other than completing the process after the Prelim, there were few good dates to schedule the interviews.
As I recall, when the NTA process began, two candidates had announced that they were running and a third candidate was sent the questionnaire when she entered the race.
“mayors’s race … is anyone paying attention?” – Not me. I’ll check in sometime around Labor Day. My short attention span can’t deal with year long election campaigns .., or in the case of national elections, two years or more.
I tried to play the video from the NewTV link, and it’s not playing for me either. Either we all have out-of-date browsers or flash players, or it’s on their end. I messaged them to see if they can fix it or put it on their Vimeo channel.
I was one of the panelists, so I was there, but have been looking forward to watching it again, more closely, and with the benefit of NewTV’s 3(?) camera setup.
And I asked the override question, in the waning seconds of my finance segment.
Two things I wish would disappear…
1. Rich Saunders
2. Thumbs-up / thumbs-down on comments
@Greg — For sites that already have the video embedded (like Amy’s FB page above or at http://newtonwatch.org/2017/06/04/mayoral-candidate-forum/ ), the video seems to work. But when I visit its home on NewTV now it says their video provider has timed out. Here is the embed code if you want to give it a try:
OK — the embed code doesn’t survive the comment filter, but if you go to one of the working links, you can get the embed code from there and I suspect it will work.
Greg was just giving Richard Saunders some good advice for a local blog – you go beyond two short paragraphs and readers scroll on by.
Booing is bad form. Nothing to brag about. It says more about the group than the candidates. When the only thing others not in attendance hear about a forum is that the group booed 2 highly credible, hard working candidates, it reflects poorly on the group itself and not on the candidates. Just sayin’.
@Greg
“I find it ironic that I helped create a community blog where people can express their views but I’m often chastised for expressing my views as if I have a special role that excludes me from having opinions.”
Cool– so you don’t have a special role– you’re just like everyone else.
So anyone can start a thread on V14 right?
I appreciate the advice and feedback!
@Paul: “So anyone can start a thread on V14 right?”
No. But anyone can start his own blog.
@Paul – We also often start threads when people ask, though that of course is subject to how busy any of us are at the moment . Speaking for myself, if you have an ideas for a thread, feel free to write it up yourself and send. The less work I have to do the better and the more likely I’d be to post it. Laziness rules!
I look forward RATE THIS! to watching that video debate RATE THIS! and hope that the candidates talk about RATE THIS! the issues in at least a substantial RATE THIS! manner that….oh, never mind. I have a virtual headache.
RATE THIS!
@Jerry
I admire your ability to lift up the conversation to be constructive and positive. I may take you up on it.
Paul,
Greg said, “…as if I have a special role that excludes me from having opinions.”
You, purposely?, misunderstood the meaning. It means he isn’t excluded from posting his opinions so in that way yes, “he’s just like everybody else.” It had nothing to do with starting threads.
Yes, Jerry leaves the rest of us groveling in the weeds when it comes to positivity.
Greg, since this thread has already gone off-topic: I wonder if it would make sense (if possible at all) to have posts sorted on the main page by the time of the last comment, rather than by posting date. Something like Facebook. Currently, posts may have an active discussion going on in the comments section, but they still get pushed down in favor of newer posts and the discussion ends prematurely.
@Newtoner: Are you aware that if you click on “recent comments” in the top menu bar (the orange bar) you will see a much longer list of recent comments? And, if you weren’t, does that help?
@Marti asked some questions which warrant answers from our mayoral candidates. Here are my thoughts in regard to some of them.
In regard to better identifying at-risk youth, we need leadership that has a comprehensive understanding of the issues these kids face. For starters, we need better train all NPS staff on how to spot the underlying symptoms that cause kids to become at-risk. Whether the issue is drug or alcohol abuse, domestic violence, poverty, mental health or something else entirely, all of our NPS staff must be capable of spotting the issue. From there, equally important, we need to create a comprehensive and coordinated network of services that could be offered to our at-risk youth that is individualized to meet his or her unique needs. Not only that, but the services we offer need be consistent and holistic. For example, without including transportation as part of any such initiative, we aren’t doing enough as the fact is that those most at-risk will fail to improve their situation without reliable transportation to and from where they need be.
In regard to improving outreach, I’d further add that we need create a network of mentors who should be trained and properly incentivized to work with our at-risk youth. A good starting point would be creating a pilot program with the Newton Housing Authority. Having grown up in Newton’s public housing, I know that this is a great place to create such a program. That’s especially true since the NHA has an enormous budget which, in my opinion, could be better utilized.
In regard to improving the internship program, if I were Mayor, the program would both provide a salary for our most disadvantaged youth and it would provide transportation to and from the job. For starters, as Mayor, I wouldn’t allow executive branch money to be spent frivolously. Rather, we would invest such taxpayer funding directly back into the community into programs such as a paid youth summer jobs program. I believe that leading by example would have a tremendously positive impact.
Moreover, to Mike Striar’s approval, we would get institutions like Boston College to pay their fair share of PILOT fees by working with them to help fund such programs as a paid youth summer jobs program. Having directly and successfully participated in university politics, I have no doubt that we could get this done. However, to do so would take both strong and innovative leadership.
In regard to the opioid epidemic, I could write about this for pages, so I’ll keep it short for now. First and foremost, we would have residents who have directly suffered from the epidemic meaningfully participate in the process of identifying and implementing solutions to it. Furthermore, we would create a transparent process that talks about the issue honestly. We wouldn’t hide from it, we would fight it. As Mayor, one of my first actions would be to identify every possible department, council and committee that we have which could participate in solving this problem. (There are many.) Once the scope of our resources is clear, I would ask each and every one of these groups to submit to me ways in which they believe they could contribute to solving the problem. Armed with this information, I would then get to work on putting the pieces of the puzzle together.
In other words, we need a Mayor who will focus on results as much as process. We need a Mayor who is willing to be held accountable to our mandate of significantly, tangibly “leaving it better than you found it” instead of just “working at” making
a difference. This means that we need a Mayor who will ensure that there is a clear picture of success to work toward; That we have, implement, and modify our plans when appropriate; That we have realistically aggressive plans for being successful; And that we clearly define and communicate all relevant accountabilities and continuously helping ensure implementation is as intended.
@Greg: I wasn’t aware of this feature, thanks. It helps somewhat, although keeping discussions alive would depend on other readers using it too.
I just clicked on recent comments, http://village14.com/recent-comments/#axzz4jEAIv0fm, and it didn’t address what I find frustrating, and maybe what Newtoner was alluding to. Please consider putting the comments per post in reverse order, most recent comment first, oldest comment last. It’s a drag to have to scroll past all the comments that have already been read sometimes days ago, to get to the newest comments. The recent comments section includes all recent comments from several different posts. Also, please consider removing the new thumbs up, thumbs down Rate This addition. Or at least, please post why you added this function to Village 14.
I agree with Jo-Louise, although that’s not my main concern. What bothers me is that posting comments become pointless once the post has gone far enough down the list. In my opinion, new comments should bump a post back to the top.
Back to the initial intent of Greg’s post. Discussion of our three main mayoral candidates, the 3 candidates vying for the Democratic gubernatorial nomination and virtually every campaign by every candidate across America has been subsumed by raw emotions about Donald Trump. He’s completely sucked the oxygen out of most political discourse not directly associated with what’s brewing in Washington. I never (well almost never) get into heated exchanges with people who disagree with me politically, but yesterday, at the Y, I uncorked at a Trump supported who made a snide, unsolicited and completely false comment about political corruption and Democrats. I was told people could hear me one floor down. Nothing in Newton could make me do that. Yeah, this is different and a bit scary.
Somehow, the mayoral campaign and Charter Reform will get the attention they deserve. I’m just not certain exactly when that will occur.
Here’s my take, for what it’s worth:
I hear loud and clear those who want more coverage/analysis of the mayoral race in the TAB. It’s coming soon.
Every newspaper editor in the country would like to have more reporters these days, but staff size was not at the core of my decision to hold off to date on coverage of the race — other than to report when each of the three major candidates announced (in addition to our piece on Mr. Saunders).
The readers of this blog include some of the most civically engaged people in our fine city, but I’m not sure there has been a huge appetite within the readership at large for in-depth coverage of the race up to this point. September (and certainly November) seem a long way off to most readers.
That being said, it is indeed up to the TAB to whet that appetite, which we hope to do over the next three months leading up to the runoff. Our focus will be on Amy Sangiolo, Ruthanne Fuller and Scott Lennon, the three candidates who each has a legitimate chance to succeed Setti Warren upstairs at City Hall. Expect to see a lengthy series of reports on these candidates as we move through another gorgeous Garden City summer.
Why hasn’t the mayor’s race caught fire yet? I think most people are so focused on the firestorm in Washington, D.C. — and locally on the proposed charter revision. We have received scores of letters and columns about the charter proposal over the past several months. But not one about the candidates for mayor (though I know they are coming).
What happens in September is particularly interesting to me: Based on a few key policy differences that distinguish her from Lennon and Fuller I think there is a very real chance Sangiolo could run right up the middle between them and land a spot in the general election. But other dynamics will also be in play during the campaign.
This will be my first time covering a mayoral race. I look forward to it.
Andy Levin – how would you describe the key policy differences between Lennon and Fuller?
@Allison Sharma
We are going to have to find out…. because their voting records the past couple years have been pretty similar… at least on the more high-profile issues. They are both highly qualified, really solid councilors… as is Amy Sangiolo.
They are likely being strategic about this. Its best to ‘wait’ to see what ‘main’ issues care about before the elections and then tailor their message to appeal the those voters.
i.e. typical politician.
Its best to be as vague and open ended as possible.. incase it gets used against you later if the winds change… although its pretty safe to take a strong stance on any anti-trump, anti republican views.. anything else Mmmmm
@Greg: Sorry for the following post. It’s long. But Marti asked a series of questions.
@Marti:
Will you continue to fund benefits and salary at the same time?
Yes – don’t see how we cannot. We owe our workers fair wages and decent benefits.
Will you continue to pay down the accrued liability in pension and healthcare obligations by 2029 and 2040, respectively?
I would like to accelerate our funding and go to the voters with a debt exclusion override to deal with it more aggressively.
How will you tackle drug addiction in Newton’s schools and otherwise? Do you support the PATH program? What else could we be doing?
With two kids in our public high school and I am aware of the proliferation of drug and alcohol use by our teens. I strongly believe having youth outreach workers that are an integral part of the community can help – which is why I raised concerns when we outsourced. We need staff at all levels in our school system to be trained on how to identify and assist our residents to get access to programs that can help.
I believe that the more open and frank community discussions we have – real communication about the underlying issues leading to addictive behavior is really the only way to make a difference.
The PATH program is a good start but with any program – more funding and resources need to be directed if we really want to make a difference.
How will you better identify and improve outreach to at-risk children. How will you approach the problems of offering internships and other programs without providing transportation?
I think we need to have more awareness programs for kids and parents and really like Tom’s idea of having more programs and partner with our non-profits and also Newton Housing. Councilor Brian Yates and I have advocated for more programs within Newton Housing to serve the needs of the residents – particularly those who are elderly or need special services and there should absolutely be more outreach and programs for our kids.
What is your position on local historic districts.
I am in favor of local historic districts and worked with my neighborhood when they were creating the Auburndale Historic District which includes my property. Local Historic District Commissions work well with residents who want to expand their homes. The majority of work that most homeowners want to do is routine maintenance and replacement and those can be approved administratively without going before the Commission. The Commissioners work with residents – not against. There is a lot of misinformation about what the Commissions can and cannot regulate – like house paint color – which is not within the local historic districts purview. We should do all we can to preserve our rich cultural and architectural history in this city. Each of our current historic districts has allowed for development to take place.
There is a lot of misinformation about the extent zoning can protect neighborhoods from tear downs. The City cannot stop teardowns – unless they adopt a moratorium. I proposed a TEMPORARY moratorium so that we could address issues – like the size of replacement homes – and other building orientation and lot coverage issues because that is what we can and should better regulate.
Explain your position on the proposed new charter.
I oppose the recommendation of the Charter Commission to reduce the size of the Council to 12 and eliminating the Ward-only elected Councilors. Each village and ward are different in their diversity and each deserve to have a seat at the table in making decisions that could have tremendous impact on their neighborhoods. The current recommendation dilutes the voice of the Councilors. Having at-large Councilors with a residency requirement DOES NOT retain Ward Representation. An at-large Councilor with a residency requirement could be elected without the support of their Ward – so where’s the Ward representation?
In further review of the proposed Charter, I’ve come to the conclusion that this Charter Commission is really taking away citizen participation. Article 10 Section 10-2 currently provides that allows citizens to petition the City Council or the School Committee to adopt certain measures with a signature requirement of 50 voters. The proposed Charter raises the requirement to 200 voters. I’m not sure how they got to 200 – the first outline of the discussion seemed to suggest raising the requirement to 100 because that’s what other cities require. I am finding that the proposed charter is making it more difficult for residents to have a voice in city government and that is certainly not the direction I think this City should go.
Explain your position on the need for diverse economic housing development, density, and Newton’s growth in general.
I am a proponent of a real economic development strategy for this City which is why I am an enthusiastic supporter of the Mayor’s request for an appropriation to move forward with one. We have very limited commercial sites in this City where we can increase businesses and we should do more in terms of flexible zoning for commercial lands to make us competitive with our neighbors.
I am a proponent for more diverse housing options in this City and I believe we need a multi-pronged approach to get there. Very dense residential development does not make sense for several reasons: 1) the idea that these developments are “transit oriented” is false. They may be located near a train or bus line – but without guaranteed frequency of service, the transit will only serve those who work downtown during rush hour and not serve people who need service at other times of the day and to other locations. So until we can get a commitment from the state to give us the service – I’ll just go for moderate – not high dense development; 2) without a more aggressive affordable housing component, these dense residential developments add to the income divide in this City – we need more affordable housing – not more market rate units which is why I support increasing our inclusionary zoning from 15% – 25%; 3) we will need to add additional capacity – if not additional schools to accommodate the increase in enrollment.
I would like to create a Housing Trust Fund so that when opportunities arise – properties like the Woodland apartments located across from the Riverside Office Park become available – the City might be able to partner with a non-profit or buy preservation restrictions within the complex. (I’m still in search of funds if the parcel is still available!) or to purchase smaller homes and add them to the inventory of deed restricted homes that we can make available to first time homebuyers.
Amy, thank you for explaining your positions.
Amy,
Thank you for the details, could you also include the hard part of the solution which is.. “how to pay for these things”
1. benefits and salary. Do we expect increase in property taxes? If so, what % increase should be expect 10 years from now from current levels?
2. To pay down the liability, which services are you going to cut from?
3. The housing trust fund will come from increased taxes or cuts to existing services?
4. Is school funding being increased to handle the increased enrollment from high density housing? If not, what % increase in class sizes will you tolerate before increasing property taxes?
5. high density housing tax for pay for the extra services. Apply only to luxury units above a certain % price of average or density within X square feet of space. Thoughts?
Would appreciate honesty in how to fund your wish list….
Thank you, Amy, for your thorough explanation.
My only concern is your statement that we don’t need more market rate units. In just a few years, a tsunami of baby boomers will need a different kind of housing than is available in Newton – low/no maintenance, an elevator, no snow removal, etc. I love living in Newton and want to stay here, but there’s simply nowhere to go once the well loved family home becomes burdensome.
We need affordable housing but we also need apartments/condos for seniors who are still able to live independently.
Jane,
I would hope the ‘accessory unit’ ordinance would cover a large majority of seniors who want to stay in Newton.
Those that have a walkout basement, an external 2 car garage or an ok sized lot to build/convert an accessory unit….
Obviously it can’t cover everyone’s need, but goes a long way
Bujek – The accessory apartment ordinance is a huge step forward, but it’s optimistic to say that it covers the majority of seniors. Anyone who needs an elevator (think knees and hips) requires a different kind of housing.
Some of my friends think an accessory apartment is a great alternative but others have different needs. It’s important to have a range of housing options available to maintain the diversity that’s been an important value in Newton.
I applaud Amy Sangiolo for her willingness to frequently join the conversation here on Village 14. This forum did not exist in 2005 when I ran for Mayor. If it had, I believe I would have won. So kudos to Amy for recognizing the value of of V-14, and having the courage and foresight to engage with other commenters.
With that in mind, I’ll follow up on some thoughts Andy Levin expressed above. Like Andy, I feel there are three outstanding [my word] candidates in the mayoral race. Any one of them could win, and I think all of them would do a terrific job as Mayor. I think that Andy’s handicapping of the race as it stands today is particularly astute. Policy differences between the candidates will start to emerge more evidently as the race builds toward the preliminary election. It’s not only possible [as Andy suggests] that Sangiolo could “run right up the middle” in the preliminary and knock out one of the other candidates, I believe it’s possible she could actually win the general election in November. That’s NOT a prediction, but rather an assessment of how things MIGHT shake out.
Wonder if any candidate is going to consider a “residential tax break exception”, similar to brookline, boston
http://blogs.wickedlocal.com/newton/2013/03/14/should-newton-adopt-a-residential-exception/#axzz4jd6gUq7O
I had thought Village 14 was a great forum for informative, thought provoking discussion but was disappointed that it just reaffirmed everything I hate about politics. I suppose I should just teach my four children their successes in life will be determined by how popular you are and how much money you make ? The idea of a level playing field is just a myth . I realize the “outside “candidates don’t stand a chance as it is even stated in many of your above threads but wouldn’t it be something if voters actually listened to what they have to say before making an informed decision ? Amy is praised for expressing and addressing each and every question put before her yet Rich was given the constructive and so helpful “advice ” to keep it short but I’m sure there is no discrimination there .
Heather:
” I suppose I should just teach my four children their successes in life will be determined by how popular you are and how much money you make ?”
Unless you move to another country or live in a bubble with only like-minded people, this is “the reality” they will face when they grow up. I think its actually gotten much worse in the last 15 years, maybe one day when the “Kardashians” are no longer in the news.. we can all hope…
Actually Heather what you should teach your kids is that sometimes mommy blows things out of proportion.
I’ve made many suggestions to many people on this blog over the years (including I’m sure to Councilor Sangiolo). But that’s all was, a suggestion.
I did not tell Rich Saunders that he wasn’t allowed to write long comments. He wasn’t banished from commenting further. He wasn’t blocked from participating in any way or at any length.
And by the way, I’ve seen Rich since my comment. He didn’t seem to be nearly as distressed as you are or you fear your kids might be. In fact, he asked me if I’d sign his nomination papers, which I did happily as I wished him luck.