It’s been just over 100 days since Newton Mayor Ruthanne Fuller was sworn in as the city’s first female mayor, And she will present her first budget to the City Council on Tuesday. How do you think she’s doing?
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So far, so good.
On the most mundane of matters that touches everyone – snow removal this winter, I think the city did a noticeably better job this year.
RuthAnne is dedicated to her new position. She has ongoing meetings to reach out to the community. I attended two of them.
She appears to be genuinely interested in the concerns of the community. However, on the topic of development she has her own pre formed agenda for housing growth on the north side.
Many northsiders believe her housing policies will not reflect the real concerns of the community.
It’s unfortunate that politics has devolved into characterizing something one disagrees with as an “agenda” instead of a position or belief.
@Colleen: Should we say that you have an “agenda” to oppose every thing that would make it easier for people to live here? Or just that you don’t believe this is good for Newton?
I’m still feeling “meh” on Ruthanne Fuller but I do feel like she’s making an effort to put herself out there in the community. As for snow removal, I wish my neighborhood had Jerry’s experience! My neck of the woods was pretty bad, particularly with blocked curb cuts.
Colleen, I agree with the first part of your comment. I wonder though about what “community” your referring to. The entire “northside” of the pike? The area surrounding Needham Street in the midst of development? Newtonville? Mayor Fuller represents all of Newton not just a few areas.
As for her agenda, all politicians enter their office with policies they support and want to see come to fruition. She’s been concentrating on schools, a way to purchase Webster Woods, snow removal, safer sidewalks and roads as well as continuing previous focus on zoning and development among other things.
I think it bodes well that Mayor Fuller wanted a study of Washington Street to attempt to get ahead of development there. I would have liked for her to bid it out primarily so I could read the request and follow the weeding out process to see what the administration was looking for.
Upon taking office in January, Ruthanne become the “street” mayor very quickly. Her approach to the first few snowstorms was immediate, thorough and engaged. In every instance, she thanked the DPW employees who sacrificed their days and nights to fight mother nature, clear our streets and remove tree debris throughout the city. On a less formal side of her responsibilities, she celebrated these snowstorms with local children who built snow “creatures” in their front yards during days off to school. In other words, Ruthanne is a mayor who knows how to make “lemonade” out of “lemons”. With many challenges before our community, I feel confident her first 100 days demonstrate that Ruthanne is working diligently and overtime to make our city work for everyone.
Mayor Fuller deserves an A for communication. Her interactions with the community has been outstanding and that’s not easy in these days of diminished media. I’d also give her high grades for being accessible, connected and present. And she’s made some great hires, while wisely keeping many of City Hall’s best and brightest.
The real test will come when we see her budget priorities this week. During the election both Fuller and Scott Lennon said they needed time on the job before they could definitively say we needed an override. (In contrast candidate Amy Sangiolo said she already knew we would need one).
And of course, it will be critical to see how the mayor and her team navigates some significant opportunities that are ahead of us this year, including zoning reform, the Northland project, the Riverside project and the Washington Street corridor.
The mayor’s transition team’s Manifesto indicates that one of her top priorities must be to work with Newton’s extensive Native American community to develop more open space in which to meditate. Unless I missed it, I’ve not seen a single photo op regarding this urgent, pressing, transformative initiative recommended by the Mayor’s top donors and advisors.
The first 100 days were great. I’ll admit to being a major fan of the two-term limit because seeing new events as well as the presence and approach of a new mayor is exciting, and Mayor Fuller has shown herself more than equal to the task. However, the negotiation of city contracts will be her first real test and they are coming up soon. No getting around it, they are always tough.
Feels like the same ol Newton to me.