In Newton, we are blessed with numerous honest and dedicated public servants, like Amy Sangiolo, Scott Lennon and Ruthanne Fuller. I admire them all but am supporting Ruthanne because she has a truly progressive record as a city councilor and will be a truly progressive mayor of Newton.
Ruthanne knows how important it is that Newton remains affordable for lower income residents, for seniors, and for families that are just starting out. She’s voted for projects to make Newton more affordable in the past, and she’ll be committed to making Newton increasingly affordable as mayor. A strategic planner by training, Ruthanne has the experience to deliver on this goal. It is a problem that none of our villages has a master plan. This means that the city has little control over how developers change the look and feel of Newton. Ruthanne will bring her strategic planning skills to the fore as mayor, and will make sure that our village centers are developed to include affordable housing and include the kinds of businesses that residents really want.
Ruthanne is also a committed to environmental sustainability. She supports more solar panels on government buildings, an entirely electric municipal car fleet, and embracing an exciting new way of providing inexpensive green energy to residents called “energy aggregation” (Google it, it’s the future!). But Ruthanne also knows the nuts and bolts of environmentalism. In Newton, the number one source of wasted water is from old water pipes. That should be of concern to every environmentalist! That’s why Ruthanne and Councilor Crossley spent two years creating a new strategic investment plan for our sewer and storm water systems. Now in effect, their plan will save us untold gallons of valuable water each year.
Ruthanne also has stood up for Newton’s progressive values of inclusion and tolerance. She voted a resounding yes to make Newton a “Sanctuary City” when President Trump stepped up deportation efforts. She also showed clearly her opposition to Trump’s values when she voted yes on Newton’s recommendation to Congress to impeach him.
We really are blessed with some great mayoral candidates, but Ruthanne certainly stands out among them. She’s a progressive, and better yet, a progressive who can get things done. That’s why I urge you to join me in breaking the glass ceiling and making her Newton’s first woman Mayor this Nov. 7.
Lynn Holbein, Islington Road, Auburndale