• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Home
  • About
    • Board of Directors
    • Vision, Beliefs and Core Values
    • Bylaws of the LWVN
    • LWVN Non-Partisan Policy
    • LWVN Diversity Policy
    • Annual Meetings
    • Newton League Past Presidents
    • Jane Leighton Volunteer-of-the-Year Award
  • News & Events
    • The League Presents…
    • Newsletters
  • Calendar
  • Contact Us
  • New Member FAQ
LWV Newton logo
  • Facebook

Visit us on Facebook!

  • Learn
    • Committees
    • Consensus Studies
    • Topic Meetings
    • LWVN Observer Corps
    • Newton Civics Challenge
  • Act/Advocate
    • National and State Program Planning
    • LWVN Program and Positions
    • Issues We Are Following
    • LWVN Local Action Log
  • Vote
    • How to Register to Vote
    • How to Pick a Candidate
    • How, When and Where to Vote
    • Massachusetts Voters Bill of Rights
    • Your Elected Officials
    • Tips for Contacting Elected Officials
    • Meet the Candidates! Saturday Night at the Races

Rena Getz

Candidate for Ward Councilor, Ward 5

Campaign Website: https://renagetz.org

My name is Rena Getz Escudero. I was born in Spain and have lived throughout the world. I’m a neurochemist. We moved to Newton 25 years ago to raise our children, all NPS graduates. I’ve been an active NPS parent, community activist and Waban Area Council founding member and current vice president.

Questions and Answers

Question 1: Discuss an experience where you made a decision that you now regret.

I regret not running for elected office sooner. I learned with the passing of Brian Yates, our longstanding Ward 5 Councilor At-Large, that we lost a significant voice in our community. Brian was one that believed in “Village Values” – in having a passion for your community and a belief that city government needs to care for the most vulnerable among us. He also believed in respecting and preserving our history and the uniqueness of each of our Ward 5 Villages. I share these sensibilities and I am committed to upholding these values and the importance of being a true voice for our Ward 5 community. It is important to continue this legacy.

Question 2: Do you support the proposal to eliminate greenhouse gas emissions in Newton by 2050? Why or why not?

Yes I support Newton as a municipality doing its part to combat Climate Change by reducing the reliance of the city and its residents on fossil fuels for energy use and transportation by 2050. We can implement Newton’s Climate Action Plan and promote and expand Newton Power Choice. As a community we can support energy use reduction and electrification in new construction as amendments to our zoning code. At the state level we can advocate for changes in our building code to a net zero Stretch Code and we can lobby for the city to participate in the vote on the International Energy Conservation Code to increase base building efficiencies.

Question 3: What is your opinion of the current development proposals such as the Northland and Riverside projects?

Redevelopment in Newton needs to be principally of public benefit for residents of Newton. The Northland and Riverside redevelopment proposals offer the City of Newton opportunities and advancements, if done correctly – an expansion of housing choice and number of dwelling units but there needs to be a balance of respect for the abutting residential neighborhoods and full consideration of the impacts to our stressed infrastructure, the quality of life for abutting residents and the fiscal implications for Newton longterm. I would support more subsidized units and deeper levels of affordability for a large rental project at the Northland site.

Question 4: There are a number of expenses that the City needs to grapple with: union contracts still being negotiated, tight school budgets, NewCAL (a new Senior Center), the acquisition of Webster Woods, possible rehabilitation of the Armory, etc. What are your priorities and why?

Sound fiscal management will be a significant challenge for Newton in the upcoming decades due to the counter-balancing need to pay down the unfunded pension and OPEB liability at an accelerated rate. Settling the Union contracts is of high priority as our city employees are to be valued. With our aging demographic, a facility for our seniors is important but needs to occur without the loss of open space or park land. The acquisition of the Armory for housing or other municipal uses is a priority but needs to be balanced with supportive funding sources and realism in total rehabilitation costs for the building and the site.



Back to Voters Guide

Primary Sidebar

High School Scholarships

High school seniors can now apply for a LWVN scholarship for their continuing education.

Find out more.

Take Action & Contact Your Legislators

  • Potential Cuts to MBTA Service
  • Climate Legislation
  • Economic Development Bill
  • Housing Stability
  • Racial Justice

Support LWVN

Join/Renew
Donate

LWV Mass. & US

LWV MA LWV US

Election Info

Special Election on Tuesday, March 16, 2021

  • Special Election Information
  • Find your polling location
  • Register to vote
  • Absentee Ballots

Upcoming Events

Mar 9
7:00 PM - 8:30 PM

Representing the 4th: A conversation with Barney Frank, Joe Kennedy III, and Jake Auchincloss

View more

Watch “The League Presents…”

The League Presents... is a monthly program on NewTV produced and directed by LWVN members about issues important to our community.

  • Fun & Entertainment during the Pandemic with Jerry Reilly
  • A Conversation with Susan Albright, Newton City Councilor President
  • The Zoning Redesign Process in Newton with Deb Crossley
  • Ranked Choice Voting

» All past programs

Posts by Category

  • VOTE – Voters Service
    • Elections
    • Candidate Forums
    • Voter Registration
  • LEARN – Topics of Interest
    • Charter Commission
    • Community Preservation
    • Education
    • Environmental Issues
    • Housing
    • Land Use
    • Municipal Finance
    • Transportation
    • Women’s Suffrage
  • ACT – Action & Advocacy
    • Local Action Log
    • Consensus Studies – MA
    • Consensus Studies – Newton
    • Consensus Studies – US
  • City of Newton Info
    • City Council Meetings: Docket Digest
    • Observer Notes

Facebook Posts

January 16th, 1:23 pm

LWVMA Statement on Governor Baker’s Veto of the Climate Bill

mailchi.mp

Governor Baker has vetoed S.2995: An Act Creating a Next-Generation Roadmap for Massachusetts Climate Policy, a truly trailblazing bill, five years in development. The bill represents a bi-partisan...
View on Facebook
·Share

Share on FacebookShare on TwitterShare on Linked InShare by Email

January 9th, 5:01 pm

Call to Action from The League of Women Voters U.S. (LWVUS)

mailchi.mp

Last night, the full LWVUS and LWVEF boards met to consider the events of this week and unanimously voted to call for the removal of President Trump from the office of the president.
View on Facebook
·Share

Share on FacebookShare on TwitterShare on Linked InShare by Email

January 7th, 6:34 pm

League of Women Voters U.S. Statement on Violence at the U.S. Capitol

mailchi.mp

View on Facebook
·Share

Share on FacebookShare on TwitterShare on Linked InShare by Email

December 19th, 12:53 pm

View on Facebook
·Share

Share on FacebookShare on TwitterShare on Linked InShare by Email

December 10th, 8:12 am

Join me and @WBrownsberger
for a discussion next week on the #PoliceReform bill that was recently passed in the legislature! Register here: https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZUkcuGvpz8qGteEnN0SZsY4Aq_oVZ5nCkYY
... See MoreSee Less

View on Facebook
·Share

Share on FacebookShare on TwitterShare on Linked InShare by Email

The League of Women Voters is a nonpartisan political organization encouraging the informed and active participation of citizens in government. It influences public policy through education and advocacy.

© 2021 League of Women Voters® Newton | P.O. Box 610207, Newton, MA 02461 | 617-383-4598 |info@lwvnewton.org

Site by Tech-Tamer | Log in