On Tuesday, September 10, Marc Laredo announced that he is launching his campaign for Mayor of Newton. Although his candidacy comes as no surprise to many local political activists, some are surprised that his announcement comes more than a year before the 2025 Mayoral election.
Elected President of the City Council for the second time in his twelve-year Council tenure, Mr. Laredo has emphasized a theme of outreach and communication. Signaling his determination to heal the factionalism that marked the previous Council term, he appointed a Community Dialogue Committee, chaired by Councilor John Oliver. The Committee held public sessions in the aftermath of the Newton teachers strike, to hear from residents about their frustration in finding accurate information. After sometimes acrimonious debates among City Council members and the Mayor, Mr. Laredo is trying to promote what he termed reasonable, respectful discussion among all his colleagues, local residents, and groups. In his City Council Committee chair appointments, he has chosen colleagues from a range of viewpoints. He says, “the City Council is a stronger, better place now and less divided along ideological lines.”
In his view, community dialogue and broad citizen engagement are essential ingredients in strengthening the city. Noting the divisive issues that have pitted communities against one another –particularly the village center rezoning and the MBTA Communities Act — Mr. Laredo lamented what he called the “I’m right and you’re wrong” approach, augmented by what he called an “I know better than you,” attitude, rather than listening to one another finding possible consensus, understanding that “no one gets everything.”
Having grown up in Newton and attended its public schools, he is very familiar with the city’s thirteen unique villages. He recognized the outrage of the people in Nonantum when village center rezoning recommended restructuring the current Watertown Street business center. Ultimately the area, which is not served by the MBTA trains or commuter rail, was removed from the plan, but only after a bitter, divisive fight. Mr. Laredo appreciates the strength of the villages as a part of Newton, and says he will be the mayor of the entire city.
Mr. Laredo said that as Newton’s mayor, he will prioritize education — about which he is “passionate.” Mr. Laredo ran for the Newton School Committee and was elected its chair. He wants all schools to benefit equally from programming and resources. A strong education system is a critical obligation, he said, recognizing that it also increases local property values.
He said he is committed to improving local roads and sidewalks by increasing the allocations for their maintenance. At the same time, the City needs to focus on increasing stormwater runoff problems impacting both north- and south-side properties. Having worked at local Newton playgrounds for several summers, he is “a huge believer in preserving open spaces.” Crystal Lake is in need of attention, he said, and he wants to develop a “global plan” for the city’s open and recreational spaces. Mr. Laredo wants to promote a vigorous local arts and culture scene as a way of enhancing community life and bringing people together.
Post-Covid, business models are changing, he observed, underscoring the transition from commercial buildings, which bring the City more tax revenue. While the suburban model includes single houses with backyards, there is not enough land for that model. Instead, he foresees condominiums, surrounded by open space, to which people may downsize from single-family homes. But building apartment houses with units for moderate- and low-income units will require financial assistance because of current high interest rates and the cost of land.
Beyond Newton’s borders, Mr. Laredo promises to work toward improving and expanding the regional transit system, which he believes will benefit all communities. Moreover, extending regional transit will be good for both business and housing development.
According the Office of Campaign and Political Finance, as of September 3, Mr. Laredo had $58,837.89 in his campaign account, “virtually all of it from Newton,” he told Fig City News. While he is continuing to raise money for his mayoral campaign, he will not accept contributions from City Council colleagues. Nor will he accept donations from developers, he said.
Asked about when he was bitten by the political bug, Mr. Laredo said that he grew up in a dynamically involved Democratic family. His parents, who were Holocaust survivors, actively engaged in local politics, demonstrating their belief in participatory democracy. As a boy, he thought about running for President, but turned his focus to something more doable — local government. A graduate of the University of Pennsylvania Law School, he worked in the Criminal Bureau of the Massachusetts Attorney General’s Office, and now he is in private practice.
Mayor Ruthanne Fuller responded to Fig City News’s query about whether she plans to run for a third term: “I am focused on doing my job as Mayor and, what I think Newtonians are concentrating on, the Presidential election. I will let the community know of my plans in the week following the Presidential election.”
There are no other announced Mayoral candidates.
Mr. Laredo’s mayoral campaign website is www.laredofornewton.com.
Ed. Note: We revised this article to remove an incorrect statement about Marc Laredo’s role with the Ward School PTO.
