Issues

As your Mayor, one of the most important responsibilities I will have is creating and managing the city’s budget each year. This entails being clear and transparent about city revenues and expenditures, considering all needs and then explaining funding decisions. I will carefully scrutinize our spending to make sure that we are using our money wisely and efficiently to address current needs, invest for our future with capital expenditures, maintain appropriate reserves for emergencies, and meet our long-term pension and other commitments to our former employees.

Under state law, Newton is obligated to fully fund our pension obligations by 2040, and our city’s retirement board has required us to complete this funding by 2032. (Under state law, the retirement board has the unilateral right to make this demand).  Meeting this obligation will put a significant strain on city finances for the next eight years.  As Mayor, I will consult with financial experts and relevant stakeholders for thoughtful, creative ways to address this issue.