Jack Prior, Treasurer of the “No” campaign, Newton Citizens for Local Representation, sent this message this morning to members of the Charter Commission and leaders of the “Yes” campaign:

Hello Commissioners and Yes Campaign Leaders — 
 

Thank you for your hard work and your dedicated service to the city.  The commission role modeled many practices that merit broader implementation.  
 

I know there have been very difficult moments and events in the campaign, but together we helped facilitate an important debate for the city, and in a sense for the country, around local government and local democracy.  
 

This was a question of local government structure where reasonable minds could differ, and neither side was right or wrong. The residents of the city made a democratic choice, and now we have an opportunity to move forward together towards building consensus and working to build shared goals for Newton. We can all be proud of democracy in Newton and the new candidates that were elected yesterday. As some have noted, while No prevailed, in a sense many of the candidates and themes of Yes thrived. 
 

Both campaigns built connections across several political divides internally and between the groups. I have enjoyed getting to know many of you.  
 

Please know how much I appreciated your work, and I personally commit to help to get the proposal substance, beyond the council composition and term limits, implemented via home rule. Term limits have issues that will have to be sorted out by others. 
 

Again, thanks for your work and as Josh has proposed, we should look for a way to bring the city together.
 

Sincerely, 
Jack Prior
Treasurer, Newton Citizens for Local Representation