Ruthanne Schwartz Fuller is a candidate for Mayor of Newton. In 2009, she was first elected Alderman-at-Large from Ward 7, and she currently represents all of Newton as an At-Large City Councilor.
As Mayor, Fuller will prioritize making our schools the best in Massachusetts, modernizing city infrastructure like roads and sidewalks, strengthening our neighborhoods and villages, and using planning and management to preserve Newton’s fiscal health. Ruthanne cares deeply about making sure Newton is a city where we respect people with different opinions and stays true to being a city that is welcoming, inclusive, and diverse.
“I’ve never seen Ruthanne back down from a tough challenge. Her ability to identify and take on the city’s most pressing issues is an example of what I call true leadership and will make her an outstanding Mayor for our city.” – former Massachusetts State Treasurer Steve Grossman
On the City Council, Fuller makes investing in Newton’s public schools a priority. She is a leader on the reconstruction of outdated school buildings and the only elected official to serve on all three working groups for the Angier, Zervas and Cabot elementary school projects.
Fuller is deeply committed to modernizing Newton’s infrastructure and spent years leading the effort to create long-term investment plans for our water, sewer, and stormwater systems – ensuring the delivery of safer and healthier city services, and saving taxpayers hundreds of thousands of dollars.
Through her work as Vice Chair of the Finance Committee and Chair of the Financial Audit Advisory Committee, Fuller is making fiscal accountability a priority. Her work helped Newton increase its cash reserves and maintain its Triple-A bond rating.
“Ruthanne watches the bottom line carefully and takes financial responsibility seriously. I’m impressed with her comprehensive knowledge of Newton’s finances, including our pension and retiree healthcare liabilities.” – Newton citizen Dan Fahey
Prior to serving on the City Council, Fuller was asked to serve as Vice Chair of the Newton Citizen Advisory Group – a group tasked with improving operational efficiency and effectiveness and making
choices about service levels in a period when the city was facing recurring structural deficits. When she lived in Brookline, Ruthanne co-chaired the town’s Financial Planning Advisory Committee from 1993-1994, as well as served on the town’s Finance Committee and chaired its Strategic Planning Sub-Committee. Fuller also has over two decades of experience as a Strategic Planner for non-profit organizations and businesses, and spent eight years at WGBH, including creating its first strategic master plan.
Ruthanne is active in Newton, serving as past president of her local neighborhood association and supporting numerous community-based organizations and charities. She and her husband, Joe, have lived in Newton almost twenty-five years, where they raised their sons – twins Mark and Chris, and David. Fuller is a graduate of Brown University and Harvard Business School.