Jacob Silber

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?

The issue with the increase in expenses is not unique to Newton; it is a problem common to all towns and cities, caused by cost-of-living increases due to inflation. First, we can make Newton a friendlier place to do business. I am confident that, given the chance to work in an environment of collaboration and shared goals, city employees already know many of the solutions to these problems. Second, we need to work to better encourage businesses to set up shop in Newton. These problems were not created overnight, and they will not be solved overnight. Newton needs a long-range plan to address its budget issues.

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?

The recent lack of affordability extends beyond housing, such as energy, food, and medical care. These changes are caused by inflationary forces beyond our control – federal policies extending back 5 years, increased borrowing costs, higher labor costs, and a decrease in construction which started during the great recession. Many of the recent projects have focused on building 1BR luxury apartment buildings, which do little to address housing affordability. While affordable housing carveouts are helpful, luxury building raises AMI across the metro area, and decreases affordability. We need greater focus on building true affordable housing.

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

The focus in Newton should be on climate resilience. Better oversight of flooding risks, more energy options, and reducing energy imports where possible (either via powerline or pipeline), while increasing accessibility where it is not feasible. Unfortunately, Massachusetts is a net importer of all forms of energy, which leaves it extremely vulnerable to climate risks. If we are serious about the long-term effects of climate change, we should consider how we can make the city resilient to supply shocks. It would have the add-on benefit of improving affordability.

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?

I have worked exclusively with data-based decision-making in business for over twenty years. It is not a trivial problem to solve, especially in light of our budget challenges. Let's start by identifying the problems, not the solutions. What information have people sought? Of that information, how important was it for them to find it? What were they able to find, and what did they give up on? Transparency helps, but it is not a panacea. Despite a common set of facts, the conclusion drawn from analyzing those facts may not always be the same, depending on the interpreter.