Here’s the TAB’s story and here’s the email sent to the Newton City Council:
Dear City Councilors,
After having the privilege to serve as your mayor for the past seven years, I have decided not to run for reelection in 2017. This was a difficult decision for me, for I am incredibly grateful to have had the opportunity to lead the city where Tassy and I grew up and where we are raising our two children. I have loved being mayor of this great city.
I am making this announcement now to give our community an adequate amount of time to select the next mayor, and I look forward to the coming year as I continue to serve the city through the end of my term.
When I ran for mayor in 2009, I pledged to address the city’s financial crisis, maintain the excellence of the school system, set Newton on track for long-term financial health, repair the city’s crumbling roads and public buildings, and bring honesty, openness, and accountability to city government. I’m so proud that together, we have accomplished these goals and so much more.
We have created a strong foundation for Newton to address the needs of residents now and those of future generations. Our administration has introduced initiatives to increase affordable and diverse housing, improve all modes of transit, expand an inclusive innovation economy, and reduce our carbon footprint, all while saving the city money. Finally, we have established a historic partnership with Boston College to address income inequality and economic mobility in Newton, increasing access to opportunity for residents in the decades to come.
None of this would have been possible without the great efforts of Newton’s elected officials, city employees, teachers, educators, school and city unions, the business community, and residents, who have worked with us to make this city all that it can be. I will always be dedicated to public service and to our community.
Thank you,
Setti Warren
You’re so excited, you spelled his name wrong!
I assume all the candidates who weren’t willing to challenge a sitting mayor will now be coming out of the woodwork.
I hope that all the candidates who weren’t willing to challenge a sitting mayor will now be coming out of the woodwork! And, also hopefully, a few who will walk forward, without antennae, on a maximum of two feet!
I, for one, will miss Mayor Warren’s leadership!
The only problem with this announcement is that we have had barely two days since THE ELECTION to be “election-free.”
Congratulations to Mayor Warren on making this announcement. I’m sure it wasn’t an easy decision to make.
Missing the link to the TAB story (I assume you meant to include it since you wrote “Here’s the TAB’s story.”)
Glad he made the announcement now rather than waiting. Be interesting to see who runs.
thanks link added
How does Governor Warren sound; like President Trump??
Maybe he’s running for president!
Thanks for your service Mr Mayor. Good luck.
We were lucky to have him, and I’ll be sad to see him go. But I’m excited to see who steps up to fill the void and what new ideas they bring to the table.
Big shoes.
He was better than the previous mayor. But a lot of what he’s done has been self serving, presumably to lay the ground work for a gubernatorial run. We could really use a mayor whose political aspirations begin and end with the corner office at City Hall. Newton has the potential to be the premier small American city, with the best public school system in the country. To accomplish that will take a visionary leader. Hopefully the right person steps up.
The Democrat party needs to build their young leadership
I hope he runs for another office. I look forward to hearing what is next from him.
This is not good news. The financial state of this city is troublesome. We have lost many of our best department leaders over the past 3 years. Another bad omen is the recent news that our long time city comptroller is also leaving the city. David Wilkerson has been a steady fiscal person over the past 25 years. To lose him is a bad omen for Newton.
Our city voted for an override several years ago. We had to because after Newton North was built our debt was so high we could not borrow the traditional way. Now we must raise taxes to sustain our long term debt. Just last week the city council voted to raise the city tax rate above what is allowed by state law. This new rate which is above 11 per cent must be approved by the state legislature. The 2017 tax bill will be much higher than the normal increase. For many Newton residents this is not welcome news.
I do not know why Setti is retiring from his job. Perhaps he simply feels worn out trying to solve the city problems which are worsening at a rapid rate.
Colleen raises some excellent points, particularly about property taxes. It’s time to insist that organizations currently exempt from property taxes step up and pay their fair share. I hope our next mayor will tackle this problem head-on, so the average homeowner is no longer forced to subsidize wealthy institutions like BC.
HALLELUJAH !!!!!!!!
Thank you Mayor Warren for your service to the City. It’s a lot of early mornings, late nights, and time away from family. The mayor has a lot to be proud of in terms of his track record for the city. I wish him the best in his next adventures.
I think he was a very good mayor. Also, I really hope he seals a deal with BC regarding Webster Woods before he departs.
I’ll be sorry to see him go. He was a good mayor for the city and I’m sure he’ll be good at whatever comes next.
Here in Upper Falls we’ll be grateful for years to come for the mayor getting so enthusiastically behind the Upper Falls Greenway project and sticking with it and seeing it through when the going got rocky. Thanks!
The other shoe drops.