President’s Message

President’s Message

As we all get ready for the change of seasons and the glorious colors of the fall, I want to take a moment to ask each of you to consider…

How will you help the League of Women Voters of Newton (LWVN) fulfill its 2021-22 program goals?

The simplest way is to become a member of LWVN’s Observer Corps.

Why is this more important today than at any other time of our political and governmental history? It is pretty simple:

• In a 29-July-2021 article, Marjorie Arons-Barron states it best as she laments the loss of local  journalism.  As time has worn on and community newspapers have shrunk and lost staff, there have been few to hold city officials, elected and appointed, accountable and transparent on what they say and do.
• Our city website is not the simplest tool to use to find information….information that is critical to residents and business owners who need information to make decisions on what they need from/do for the city.
• City Council, Board and Commission reports frequently lack important details,  reports, recordings and/or agendas are not consistently and timely posted on the city’s website.
• Social Media is more often more opinion than fact-based, thus not making it a regularly reliable source of information.

Therefore, we are reaching out to every LWVN member asking you to please help LWVN make our city government more accountable by becoming an Observer of one or more of the following committees, boards, or commissions:

• City Council’s standing committees:
  • Finance
  • Land Use – Affordable Housing
  • Zoning & Planning – Zoning Redesign
• Zoning Board of Appeals (ZBA) – Affordable Housing
• Boards or Commissions:
  • Community Preservation Committee
  • Conservation Commission
  • Election Commission
  • Fair Housing Committee
  • Newton Housing Partnership
• School Committee

You will be trained and mentored by Judy Jaffe, a board director and long-time member of LWVN.  Working with the Board of Directors, Judy will help you determine which meetings are best for you to observe and what information is needed so that LWVN can provide objective reports, and the Board can decide where to place our advocacy and/or recommendations for making information, processes, and procedures more accessible and transparent.

Thank you!

Sincerely,
Marcia Johnson
President LWVN