Letters to the Editor
Opinion: We All Have a Stake in Maintaining Our City
An opinion piece from Dan Fahey urging residents to vote "Yes" on all three Newton override ballot questions.
In Newton only about 20 percent of households have children in the system. Those households are probably more receptive to the upcoming override, since its failure to pass will likely adversely affect their kids’ school experience. But what about the rest of us [e.g., empty nesters like me, whose daughter has been out of the system for eight years]? Why should we pay more taxes, when there's less direct benefit for us? One answer: Property value. Research has shown that school quality has a significant and positive impact on a city’s property values. Many families move to Newton because of our schools’ reputation and, while I believe our schools are still good, they are certainly vulnerable. Newcomers to the city are often shocked at the…
Janet Sterman
3:41 pm on Saturday, March 9, 2013
Despite your fear inducing campaign along with the gloom and doom painted by the Mayor's office of: growing potholes and crumbling sidewalks, falling down school buildings, overcrowded classrooms, poor fire stations, and inadequately staffed fire and police - while promoting three property tax increases, Newton's property values are still going up! http://newton.patch.com/articles/sold-newton-… more ›