Newton’s election department reports that so far three candidates for Charter Commission have turned in their nomination papers and have enough certified signatures as of August 5:
Jane Frantz
R. Lisle Baker
Bryan Barash
The city has also posted this Charter Commission resource material:
The Charter Commission timeline and process
A Guide for Home Rule Charter Commissions
Newton’s Current Charter
Mass General Laws Chapter 43B
Was glad to get that taken care of so I can move to the next phase and continue the important work of talking with voters about what they would like to see the commission review.
I am rather upset over this paragraph in your timeline:
“Beginning in 2008, petition forms were delivered
to and held by the City Clerk’s Office.
In June 2015, the League of Women Voters noti
fied the Clerk’s Office in writing that they
had completed their submission of petitions…”
You have minimalized a group of concerned citizens who started the process. The LWV did not get involved in the process until roughly 2010 or 2011. How it should read is: Beginning in 2008, petition forms were delivered to a group of concerned citizens who started the charter commission process.
@Tom– Hi Tom. I’m curious, do you know how many petition signatures you personally raised to get Charter review on the ballot? I’d imagine it’s quite a lot. Also, do you know if any of the other candidates for Charter Commission were responsible for raising any signatures for review?
Hi Mike, my small group of 6 people got 2,300 signatures and roughly a little over 2,000 were certified in roughly 2 summers. Some of the certified signatures we got in 2008 were later rejected because the election department updates their certification and our signatures dropped roughly by 5-10%. They dropped due to people leaving Newton or someone dying, etc.
I personally got roughly 1,000 pre-certified signatures. Al Dechter also got roughly 1,000 pre-certified signatures.
Once the league took control of the effort I sat back, so I can only say that out of the 6 of us that started the signature drive, I am the only one running for office as of now. I would like to thank the other 5 members for helping out which is Al Dechter, Sande Young, Janet Sterman, Susan Huffman and Anatol Z. (If I missed anyone, I’m sorry)…but they deserve thanks as well, since if they didn’t get involved I wouldn’t have got involved (Maybe the League would have picked up on it later, but if they did, they wouldn’t be done now. I also know that Rhanna Kidwell not only led the leagues effort but she led by example and got probably more than me and I am pretty sure that Sharyn Roberts also got over 1,000 signatures. She was always at the farmers market getting signatures…relentless. It took a whole host of people to accomplish and I thank them for the leagues part. I also apologize to the league members who helped out and I didn’t mention.
Jane Frantz collected signatures towards the end of the drive, I am not sure if anyone else did. Out of the people I can remember who took papers out Lisle, Ted, Anne L, Brooke, Bryan, Jane, me, Howard, Charlie, Groot, Chris, Gail (sorry, I can’t remember the other 3 candidates), me and Jane were the only 2 people that went out and got signatures. When the league was asking people to step up for more help due to having a deadline in getting the signatures in time for this election, Jane stood up and helped out. It was truly a community effort and I am proud of my and everyone else’s part in it.
@Tom
What was it that motivated you to this, and what do you hope for?
First off, I want to apologize to Gloria for forgetting her in the above post…I am so, so sorry Gloria.
Simon, What motivated me for doing this was that over the years I have run for many positions. Every election I was asked the same question which was are you for or against a smaller Board? The people have voted several times over the years to make the board smaller, but the ballot was always non binding, so the Mayor was able to find out what the people want without actually having to commit to it. Both votes the people voted by over a 2:1 margin to have a smaller Board. then there were several efforts to get a smaller board through home rule petition, but when people tried that method, the Board would have to vote itself to be smaller, so that wasn’t happening. The only way of running around that issue was to have a vote for a charter commission.
But, as time went by there are plenty of other issues that need to be addressed. Everyone has their own petpeeves, I would like to make the language in the charter more clear so that the situation that Jonathan Yeo had several years ago, doesn’t occur again. I’d like to make term limits fair across the board either all the elected officials have it or none have it. I would like to see independent voters added to the election committee, etc.
Great question, I hope I answered it to your satisfaction. Feel free to keep asking.
Much thanks to you Tom, and to all the others who helped get Charter review on the ballot. A special thanks to you though Tom, because I know you’re passionate about this. I hope the good people of Newton will reward you for your extraordinary effort. No one deserves it more, and no one has more to offer.
Thanks Mike,
To V14 Readers and CC enthusiasts, I want to let everyone know that I will not be running for CC. After much thought I just don’t have the time (if I were lucky enough to get elected) to commit to this worthwhile project and process that it deserves.
I have existing Newton volunteer Board commitments and excited about launching my children’s book “E is for Election Day” nationally (insert shameless plug – http://www.EisforElectionDay.com ) this year as we approach another historic and entertaining presidential election.
I applaud everyone’s efforts to put this important issue on the ballot and I will be involved and participating as a resident in Charter reform. Good luck to all that are running and on the ballot and thank you for your service to the City of Newton as we (presumably & hopefully) embark on this task.
Sorry to hear you won’t be running Gloria – I was hoping to vote for you!
I’m also sorry to hear you won’t be running Gloria — I think you would have won and I know you would have been a valuable contributor!
All: I just came to the same decision myself. I took out papers last week but realized quickly that serving on the Charter Commission (should I win) would have been too big a distraction from the novel I am currently writing. (It might have provided great material for a sequel though!). Good luck to all those who are running.
No worries Gail and Gloria: There’s 22 aldermen available to take your spots on the ballot!
(note: sarcasm intended)
I am so sorry to hear this as well. You would have made a great commissioner.
What else do they have to do? 🙂
As of today, August 13, there are still 18 people vying for the 9 Charter Commission seats, with 5 or 6 of them having already submitted signatures to City Hall. While Gloria Gavris and Gail Spector took out papers to be on the Commission, they have removed themselves from the race, leaving the following candidates still wanting your vote: (in order of their signatures to take out Commission signature papers)
Tom Sheff; Charles Shapiro; Howard Haywood; Ted Hess-Mahan; Brooke Lipsitt; Groot Gregory; Lisle Baker; Anne Larner; Josh Krintzman; Bryan Barash; Jane Frantz; Howard Sholkin; Miles Fidelman; Jack Porter; Karen Manning; Chris Steele; Kathryn Winters; Doug Koch.
The candidates who have not yet returned their nomination papers still have until Sept 22 to do so.
As of today (August 25) there are three new contenders who wish to serve on the Charter Review Commission: Alex Rich-Shea, Rhanna Kidwell, and Peter Harrington.
If all of the people who took out papers return their 100 verified signatures, there will be 21 candidates for 9 positions.
The City website has posted the info that the following have already submitted their 100 verified signatures:
Jane Frantz
R. Lisle Baker
Bryan Barash
Brooke K. Lipsitt
Howard Haywood