OP-ED: It’s time to fix the roof! Vote YES on 3 overrides

It’s time to fix the roof! No homeowner likes to hear that since roofs are expensive and not a particularly fun home improvement. But a well-functioning roof is essential to have a safe, usable home. So every so often we need to tighten our belts and repair or replace the roof. More broadly, Newton is also our home. Just like the buildings we live in, Newton needs regular care and maintenance. And, periodically, it needs a big investment to maintain the quality of life that drew us all here. That’s why I support voting YES on all 3 override questions.

What’s included in the Override Package?

Question 1 of the proposed operating override would fund $9,175,000 annually including:

• $4.5 million addition to school budget
• $1.4 million for street and sidewalk improvements
• $1 million for parks, fields and courts restorations
• $775,000 renovation of the Horace Mann School
• $500,000 for programming for older residents
• $500,000 for planting and maintaining 1,000 trees annually
• $500,000 for climate resiliency projects, including moving buildings away from fossil fuels

All are necessary to provide the level of services we expect in Newton. Newton’s students need technology, academic and mental health supports as we emerge from the pandemic. Streets and sidewalks are in great need of improvement. Increases in programs for older residents should mirror the growth of this demographic. There is an urgent need to address climate change by planting more trees and electrifying some city and school buildings.

Question 2 would finance rebuilding Countryside School by raising $2,300,000 annually; it is a debt exclusion question. If Newton passes Question 2, the Massachusetts School Building Authority will contribute a $20 million grant to the Countryside project, significantly lowering the effective cost to Newton taxpayers. We should not forgo the opportunity to get $20 million from the state!

Question 3 would finance rebuilding Franklin School by raising $3,500,000 annually; this is also a debt exclusion question. The renovations to Countryside and Franklin are much needed; both schools are old and in terrible condition.

To be sure, this is a difficult economic situation — high inflation impacts everyone — and our elected officials must be careful stewards of municipal resources. By all accounts, funds from the 2013 override have been spent as promised and all 3 school building projects (Angier, Zervas, and Cabot) were completed on time and on budget. There is every reason to believe the same will be true for this override if it passes.

I am so proud of the work the city did during my tenure on the School Committee to design and build these 3 wonderful schools that are having a real impact on the daily lives of our city’s students and educators. The Newton Early Childhood Program now has a renovated building and the city is designing a new Lincoln-Eliot. We must keep progressing so that every Newton school meets the needs of our students. With this override package, more school communities (Horace Mann– Question 1, Countryside– Question 2, and Franklin– Question 3) will get the schools they deserve. 

How will the override package impact homeowners?

Homeowners of a median-valued home ($1,200,000) will pay an additional $473 in real estate taxes annually if all 3 questions pass. Homeowners whose homes are assessed at less than $1,200,000 will have a smaller increase. Check the city’s calculator to see exactly how the override would affect your own tax bill.

What if the override package doesn’t pass?

Failure to pass Question 1, the operating override question, will delay the renovations at Horace Mann School, delay improvements to fields, roads, and senior services, and result in painful school budget cuts that reduce staffing in our schools. Soon, on January 23, our Interim Superintendent will present two different budget scenarios: if the first override question passes and if it does not. Please watch to learn how failure of the override would force harmful cuts to the school budget.

Failure to pass Questions 2 and 3 will result in a large delay in rebuilding Countryside and Franklin Schools and, as a result of that, will push renovations at other schools much farther into the future.

How do I help?

There is a ballot question committee working to support the override package. You can learn more about this effort at VoteYesForNewton.com.

Newton is our home and we need to invest in it now. Let’s come together to “fix the roof.” I urge you to Vote YES on all 3 questions on March 14, 2023.

Diana Fisher Gomberg is a former member of the Newton School Committee (2012-2019)