Apologies for issues with the link below and with some of the links on the LWVN page.  Please try again if if didn’t work last time! (and thanks to all who reported issues!)

The League of Women Voters of Newton (LWVN) has just published its 2019 Voters Guide, available to everyone by clicking here:  https://lwvnewton.org/voters-guide-2019/ALL candidates for ALL races, both for City Council and for School Committee in contested and uncontested races, were invited to participate and answer the questions below.  To those candidates who haven’t added their answers yet–it’s not too late!  Please contribute your thoughts on these issues.  And voters can meet the candidates in one place at Saturday Night at the Races, on Saturday, November 2, from 5 to 7 pm at the War Memorial, Newton City Hall. Check lwvnewton.org or more details.

City Council:

  • Discuss an experience where you made a decision that you now regret.
  • Do you support the proposal to eliminate greenhouse gas emissions in Newton by 2050? Why or why not?
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  • What is your opinion of the current development proposals such as the Northland and Riverside projects?
  • There are a number of expenses that the City needs to grapple with: union contracts still being negotiated, tight school budgets, NewCAL (a new Senior Center), the acquisition of Webster Woods, possible rehabilitation of the Armory, etc. What are your priorities and why?

School Committee:

  • Q1: Discuss an experience where you made a decision that you now regret.
  • Q2: If you’re elected, what would be your first priority and how would you go about addressing it?
  • Q3: The achievement gap remains a persistent problem in the NPS, despite best efforts. What role do you think the school committee can play in addressing this issue?
  • Q4: Discuss the resources needed by the schools each year to provide reasonable class sizes, breadth of programming at the high schools, and competitive salaries for teachers and staff. Please be specific in terms of budget numbers and other resources.
  • Q5: In tight budget years, art, music, guidance, and libraries suffer in our schools. What realistic ideas do you have to avoid cuts in these areas?

NOTE:  The reason there are 5 questions for School Committee candidates is because we were not able to hold any Candidates’ Forums and wanted to ask the candidates about their priorities.