Newton Mayor Setti Warren announced Monday that he will ask voters for about $11.4 million in property tax increases to pay for three school building projects, replace a fire station, fix streets and sidewalks and hire more teachers and police officers.
Want to know how much all three overrides might cost you? There’s a calculator here.
While this override package, totaling $11.4 million, includes three separate ballot questions in order to meet state guidelines for school construction reimbursement, it must be viewed as one whole comprised of interconnected pieces which, when taken together, will help build Newton’s future.
The mayor — along with his tag team Bob Rooney and all-star closer Maureen Lemieux — did a superb job laying this out to the aldermen last night.
Still I was surprised when the aldermen gave him a standing ovation after asking for a tax hike.
That’s not something most legislative bodies do these days, if ever. And certainly it’s a departure from the way Newton’s last override request unfolded.
Nonetheless, selling three questions to the public will take considerable effort. Explaining how debt exclusion overrides work in a community that’s never asked for one will be a challenge in of itself (for example, do folks realize that while the headlines say he’s asking for $11.4 million, no one really knows for sure how much it would be?).
Should be an engaging five month discussion.
Question 1 is reminiscent of the Cohenesque ‘trust me’ operational override. Newton being one of the safest cities in the country, in the process of removing top heavy NPD brass, putting 4 more street patrolmen on, suspicions of alleged officer misconduct – does all this help in selling question 1’s package? NPD should complete re-org before even hint of being linked to question 1 package.
@Greg, Newton unsuccessfully sought a debt exclusion for the library.
Speaking only for myself, the standing O was for the content of the presentation, including the Mayor’s success in bringing expenses and revenues more closely in line with one another over the past four years, and does not necessarily indicate endorsement of an override and/or debt exclusions. Indeed, I and several of my colleagues with whom I spoke after last night’s meeting have a lot of questions about the proposed override and debt exclusions (or, as I told the Mayor when I met with him yesterday morning, the functional equivalent of a refinance and two home equity loans). Our hearts may tell us one thing, but our heads may be telling us another.
Even though this isn’t Newton’s first rodeo, we are all going to have to learn and understand how overrides and debt exclusions work in the next five months leading up to a March 2013 ballot question before making an informed decision (less time for aldermen, who have to vote whether to place it on the ballot before then). Anyone who is interested in learning more about how an override and a debt exclusion work should read the department of revenue’s guides on Prop 2-1/2 levy limits and ballot question procedures.
One reason in particular that the MSBA may have preferred a debt exclusion to an operating override is the fact that a debt exclusion is tied to a specific project and can only be used for that purpose, and if that project goes over budget or is materially changed in some way, the city would have to go back to the voters for reauthorization. The problem with an operating override is that additional funds raised by the override are “earmarked” for the stated spending purpose only in the first fiscal year. After that, the additional revenues raised by lifting the levy limit can be used for any purpose.
Food for thought. It’s on.
a couple gov’t questions:
1) Was this presentation done as part of a regularly scheduled BoA mtg? If so, why — does the BoA need to approve this?
2) Why is it presumed that this vote would be in March and not part of a normal election date?
Tx
Hoss –
Aldermen have to approve putting the question before voters, and they have to approve the special election date.
I would imagine the mayor wants to know if he has the money while planning the FY13 budget. The other override votes were in the spring also.
I totally support this. PAST administrations have caused this problem. We have a HUGE and FANCY Newton North. Meanwhile the students in the elementary schools are in old and decaying buildings that don’t have enough space. It is the TEACHERS that TEACH our kids EVERY DAY in awful buildings. I don’t know how they do it. They work in buildings that NONE of us would ever use for a private company. They have more students each year (my kids have never had less than 25 or 22 in their K-2 classes.
Our firefighters are using old buildings. Our PAST administrations did NOT keep up the buildings. They let them go. They did not want to spend money on them. If you don’t upkeep your house for 20 years, you would be in the same boat as the public buildings.
I wish Angier or Cabot would host an open house, so every tax payer could see what I see daily. 80 kids crowded in a hall way to eat lunch . . . with minimal supervision. 25 kids learning in a room that is 85 degrees in January, and the window is open . . . the heat blasting and no way to control it. . . . and the room has TWO electrical plugs. Don’t get me started with the room in the basement that has a sump pump hose running through it. My kid was in that ROOM. I saw it. Dirty water whizzing by nine year olds as they are trying to learn.
Read more: Warren requests $11.4 million, promises schools, fire station, road repairs | Newton TAB Blog http://blogs.wickedlocal.com/newton/2012/10/15/warren-requests-11-4-million-promises-schools-fire-station-road-repairs/#ixzz29TTnuHf2
I applaud the Mayor for finally taking a giant step toward fixing some of our aging school buildings. Unfortunately, this entire matter is unnecessarily complicated by the MSBA’s insistence that funding for each school project be voted on separately. The structure of this package, [one operational override and two debt exclusion overrides] is going to make it much harder to pass any of it, as opponents have a ready-made, “divide and conquer” component that could sink all three.
Personally, I will absolutely vote for the two debt exclusions that address specific schools. And while I would under most circumstances support a general override at this point in time, I have serious reservations about the Warren Administration’s approach to funding a new fire station and fire department headquarters in Newton Centre.
I believe Mayor Warren had the opportunity to fund those two particular buildings through a public-private-partnership, proposed by the abutting property owner. That partnership would have essentially given Newton a new fire station and fire headquarters, in exchange for the right to develop and incorporate a mixed use building and parking garage on the site. The Mayor turned his back on that $8M gift, and now he’s asking the taxpayers to pay for it. While I like and support the other things targeted by that general override, I’m reluctant to pay $8M to fix the Mayor’s mistake.
Thanks Gail.
So can the mayor’s office use public funds to get this passed in terms of fliers, signage and media? Or does there need to be a campaign fund? If there needs to be a campaign fund, isn’t using city hall resources to produce the override calculator site (as example) an issue? Anyone?
The challenges that Mike is describing with splitting the override questions and still achieving 2/3s on any one question seem really difficult given that instead of two choices for a voter, Y or N, there are now EIGHT choices starting with Y Y Y and N N N. EIGHT ways to vote on a simple Y or N question and still get 2/3s on any ONE choice? No way, Jose. Unfortunately.
Come on Hoss. The city is proposing an override, so the city is providing a mechanism for residents to learn the impact that the proposal will have on their tax bill. It just gives the facts – it doesn’t say “your tax bill will ONLY go up $300 so vote YES”.
@Hoss: There’s an entire elections commission website chock full of information to address your various conspiracy theories. As my father-in-law used to say: “Knock yourself out.”
Greg, Why is my inquiry on the level of conspiracy when your making a federal case out of someone using their city hall email address on their campaign website such proper play? You’re that one developing visions of evil where none exists.
@Hoss: When I pointed out that some candidates were using their email addresses improperly during the last municipal election, I went to the trouble of looking into the rules first. I’m simply suggesting that you do your homework first rather than just tossing out random hunches.
It’s always best to let Aldermen and School Committee members speak for themselves. If Ted wants to oppose this override then that’s fine, but he shouldn’t speak for an unidentified set of “others”.
Hoss – Overrides pass with a simple majority.
I think the conspiracy theroies that continue to be promlogated accross a number different blogs get blown out the water because of the calander. If this Mayor did not want to do this until after his own election next November, than he could of waited and presented this after next November. Based on thepresentation last night (were was that detail the last time from the cohen admin) and the timing, no real critic of the request can be taken seriously because the mao has put his reelection on the line. And all the arguements regarding staffing reductions that start with the reduction of the BOA is laughable and makes their arguement not legitamit. It would have no effect on the overall issue that need to be addressed. So please if persons who want to oppose the override can give detailed answers to the question the city is facing please do so. But saying more cuts are needed with no specfics adds nothin but political discourse this country is currently choking on.
That was a interesting way to say that there doesn’t need to be separate funding in an override campaigns, but thanks.
@Hoss: Not saying that. As in the past, I’m sure there will be an independent political action group formed in support of the overrides and that group will do extensive fundraising. There may also be a similar group, or groups, in opposition.
You seemed to suggesting that the city/mayor was improperly using taxpayer dollars to advocate or explain his proposals. I know, I know, you phrased it as a question. But it’s clear where you were going.
And I answered by suggesting that you look it up. Clearly you have the time.
Have a good night.
I am 100% in favor of an override. If asking questions about process is offensive, that good night is right.