Members who attended the February 7th member meeting on the 2023 override proposal voted unanimously in favor of supporting the 3 ballot question package.
The package includes an operating override and two debt exclusion override questions. If approved, the tax override package will provide nearly $15 million in additional tax revenues annually to the city to be used for…
- Newton Public Schools operations
- Street and sidewalk paving and safety improvements
- Tree planting and maintenance
- Park and recreational facility improvements and maintenance
- Sustainability and climate resiliency actions
- Senior Services programming and operations
- Improvements to Horace Mann, Countryside, and Franklin elementary schools
Members heard from Christine Dutt, co-chair of Vote Yes for Newton, about the history of Prop 2 ½, how overrides are used in other municipalities and have been used in Newton in the past, and what the current proposal offers Newton residents. Leaders of No Override Newton were also invited to present, but the group did not participate. The address for the No Override Newton website, which had launched earlier in the day, was shared with the group, and some Newton Taxpayer Association videos expressing the “vote no” position had been shared prior to the meeting.
Following the Vote Yes fo Newton presentation, LWVN president, Marcia Johnson, shared slides containing information compiled by LWVN member Jane Harper that outlined how each provision of the override package aligns with LWVN positions in the areas of Land Use, Human Services, Environmental Quality, and Transportation.
Debbie Winnick, of the LWV of Cape Cod, facilitated a question and answer period before the question of whether LWVN should “support the passage of Newton’s 2023 override proposal” was put to a vote. Attendance at the meeting exceeded the requirements for a quorum, and all 26 members attending voted in favor.
We encourage all League members and Newton residents to vote in support of all 3 questions in the Special Election in March. If you are able and interested in volunteering, please visit the Vote Yes for Newton website and find out how you can get involved.
Make your plan to vote by mail, early in-person at City Hall, or on Election Day, March 14, 2023 at your polling locations. Full details at newtonma.gov/government/elections