I’m supporting Rena Getz in the upcoming election for City Councilor At-large from Ward 5. Rena is uniquely qualified to lead on addressing the disruptive development policies that threaten to destroy historically significant architectures and rapidly change the appearance of our villages over the coming decade. Rena speaks softly with deliberate preciseness, but she always has the courage of her convictions and has never been hesitant about speaking truth to power.
Rena will bring both a strong village voice and equally strong citywide experiences to the City Council. For years she has been interacting with city councilors and committees and most city departments while serving as an elected member and current President of the Waban Neighborhood Area Council. She possesses deep institutional knowledge. This is a potent combination of skills that will serve both the city and city council in good stead. Rena has a clear and convincing list of priorities to steer us through these turbulent times which you can review on her website at RenaGetz.org. Rena isn’t an anti-development zealot, but she is skeptical about City Hall’s preference for top-down decision-making and its reliance on outside planning consultants who often demonstrate little direct knowledge about our villages and vibrant local institutions. Rena is concerned at what this accelerated pace of development will produce throughout Newton.
The central thrust of Rena’s candidacy is a passionate belief that the residents and institutions within our villages have every right to be directly involved in all phases of planning for a future that will affect them most directly. This includes the unique and vibrant area councils that a few of our villages possess today, and which Rena does serve, and I have served on in our respective villages.
Bob Burke
former Newton Highlands resident for over 85 years
