Alderman Ruthanne Fuller: Join Me in Voting 'Yes, Yes, Yes' on March 12

Please vote Tuesday, March 12. Polls are open from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m.

There are 3 questions. Here is why I am voting YES, YES and YES. 

Newton has an operating budget of $315 million. These three initiatives will add another $11.4 million to it to meet important needs.

Setti Warren, our mayor, working with the Board of Aldermen and School Committee, works hard to use the $315 million thoughtfully, efficiently and effectively.

• All labor contracts were renegotiated to hold compensation increases to  2.5 percent

• Each item in each department budget is reevaluated annually  to make sure it’s necessary (zero based budgets)

• Performance is monitored continuously so changes can be made and results improve (performance monitoring)

We have major buildings that are at the end of their useful life. Voting YES means funding two elementary schools (Angier in Waban, Cabot in Newtonville) and Fire Station 3 and Fire Headquarters (both in Newton Centre). 

We have 12,070 children in our schools, an increase of 900+ since 2004. We project another 850+ (7 percent) in the next five years. Voting YES adds more space by making the new Angier and new Cabot bigger and rebuilding Zervas Elementary School to double its capacity. Voting YES means more teachers and more teacher aides to keep class sizes reasonable.

Forty-six percent of our roads are in poor condition. Voting YES invests another $1 million annually in road and sidewalk maintenance and repair (still short of what we need but a big improvement).

Please join me in voting YES, YES and YES on Tuesday, March 12.

--Ruthanne Fuller
Alderman-at-large, Ward 7