Becky Grossman

Questions and Answers

Question 1: After 40+ years of Prop 2 ½, a very limited ability to pass overrides, steep increases in expenses such as employee benefits and utilities, and a relatively small commercial tax base, Newton faces fiscal challenges not encountered by our peer communities, making it increasingly difficult to adequately fund our schools and other city services. What are your ideas for raising revenues or otherwise addressing Newton’s fiscal challenges?

I’ve advocated for aligning pension contribution growth with overall budget growth, freeing resources for schools and other city services while honoring commitments to retirees. Newton could also consider smaller, more frequent and specifically targeted overrides to provide stable funding. In addition, fostering new growth through appropriate development will expand our tax base and help address long-term fiscal challenges. Making it easier for businesses to open, operate and thrive here is a key piece of that, and has the positive effects of adding vitality and vibrancy to our city while simultaneously increasing the commercial tax base.

Question 2: What, specifically, can the City Council do to ensure that lower income residents, young families, and long-term residents looking to downsize, can afford housing in Newton?

To increase housing affordability, the City Council should review why recent zoning reforms aren’t driving desired investment and adjust policies to make development more viable. We’ve already expanded access to accessory dwelling units and must continue building on that progress. By strengthening programs for affordable units and partnering with nonprofits and developers, we can keep working to make Newton accessible to lower-income residents, young families, and older adults looking to downsize.

Question 3: What is Newton doing to address climate change, how effective are these efforts, and what else could/should we be doing?

Newton adopted a Climate Action Plan in 2019 and has made strong progress in hiring an Energy Coach, retrofitting city buildings, requiring green practices in new construction, and expanding solar on public properties. I have supported these initiatives and will continue to champion policies that accelerate energy efficiency, reduce waste, expand walkability and bikeability, and transition to clean energy. Rising trash costs make reducing waste a top priority. While no city can solve climate change alone, I'm proud that Newton is working hard to do our part with the resources we have and leading by example for other municipalities to follow.

Question 4: Government transparency refers to the obligation of a government to proactively share information related to the management of public resources and decision-making; it’s indispensable to accountability and to an informed electorate. A recent initiative conducted by Newton’s LWV identified significant deficiencies in Newton’s local government transparency and specifically with respect to the City’s website. How do you think improved transparency could benefit our city? What improvements would you advocate for to the City website or transparency in general?

Transparency is essential to public trust and effective governance. Newton has made progress through investing in technology to maintain a hybrid format for public meetings. This allows community members to participate remotely, making it easier to follow and engage in the work of local government. While a full website redesign would be costly, we can make meaningful improvements by simplifying navigation, improving search and accessibility, and highlighting topics of particular interest. These low-cost steps can make information easier to find and strengthen community engagement.