YES vote endorsed by the Newton TAB and the Boston Globe

Read the MNF op/ed: What a YES vote is all about

Watch the movie version of our slide show presentation.

Dear Newton Voters,

On May 20th, we urge you to vote YES to approve an override of Prop 2 ½.

This override is needed to maintain Newton’s quality of life, including our great schools, our reliable public safety agencies, and our efficient city services.

This override is necessary because a structural deficit – with “Budget-Buster” items such as health care, wages, pensions, energy costs, and unfunded state and federal mandates rising faster than revenues – has created a gap in our city’s finances.

Most communities in Massachusetts are experiencing this same structural deficit, and many have passed multiple overrides and raised taxes significantly.  Newton has fared better with aggressive school closings and other cost-saving measures over the years, and its taxes have risen far less than many neighboring communities.

The cost of delivering the services that make Newton such a great place to live are people costs – more than 80% of the costs of Newton’s schools, public safety and other services are the costs associated with employing real people.  And, just like in the private sector, the cost of maintaining a workforce continues to rise.  But, unlike many companies in the private sector, Newton cannot outsource these jobs to other countries.  In Newton, “downsizing” wouldn’t just be a code word for layoffs; it would mean the erosion of the quality of life in this great community, from our schools to our police force to our libraries and public works.

The city has undertaken a number of cost-saving and revenue-increasing measures, such as energy efficiency in municipal buildings and combining the city’s pension investments with the state’s pension pool.  Dozens of positions have been cut from City Hall over the last five years. 

A “no” vote on May 20th would eliminate approximately 115 educators, public safety professionals and other critical city employees.  This would result in larger class sizes, fewer police officers, and reduced programs and services across the board.

This override is not about Newton North High School.  Many people are angry about the cost escalations on this project, and feel the need to “send a message” to the mayor and other city officials expressing their anger.  But it’s important to understand that whether or not this override passes, the new Newton North will be built.  A “no” vote will mean significant cuts to our schools and other important pubic services – and the new Newton North will still be built.

Our city government needs to keep its revenues in line with expenses, and to do so it sometimes needs to ask voters for a property tax override.  A Prop 2 ½ override is not an admission of failure on the part of city government.  Periodically asking voters for an override is exactly the purpose of Prop 2 ½, to give the residents of a community the chance to voice their support for continuing to receive the services they want, to maintain the high quality of their schools, to continue to enjoy superior public safety services.

We hope you will join us in voting YES on May 20th, for our schools, for our police and other essential city services, and for the way of life we enjoy in Newton.

Sincerely,