May Update: Number Crunching

You might not think that budget hearings are a highlight of this job.

You’d be wrong.

Budgets are the core of what we do and how we prioritize.

This year’s budget discussions lacked the drama of recent years—in part because of the settled teachers’ contract (and most of the others, excepting police officers and nurses), and in part because the budget increase this year is bigger than the usual 3.1-3.5%—at 5.1% for city functions; 5.2% for schools.

In brief, while new growth and new cannabis income are down, interest rates are up—and that has made a difference.

Here’s what I found interesting in this year’s 3” thick budget book:

• Building like its 1950

• Working on Dispatch

• Growing the Parks budget

• ARPA for street safety

• Concerning budgets

And also, naturally:

• Short items

Rebuilding

I’ve championed the replacement or rehabilitation of Newton’s schools, fire houses and other structures because years of neglect (a kind of borrowing by not properly funding maintenance) left us with some of the oldest and least habitable buildings in the Commonwealth. That started to change in the Warren administration and has continued under Mayor Fuller and Commissioner Josh Morse (who clearly loves his job).

You are probably familiar with his Facebook or Instagram feed. The list of new structures opening soon is impressive (Gath Pool, Lincoln-Eliot, Cooper Center). Coming soon are Countryside, Franklin, and the police HQ. The icing on the cake is that each of these buildings is more efficient than the last—and our solar arrays are now generating 30% of municipal electricity demand (soon to be 40%).

But equally important is moving from reactive to preventive maintenance of our public buildings.

Since our library is the busiest in the Minuteman Network, and it functions as a homework center for teens and a cooling center for those without central air, I’m glad the city has a $500K grant to decarbonize the HVAC system as part of its replacement this year.

Growing the Parks’ Budget

Newton’s parks are some of the most popular public spaces we have. Their maintenance—and not just fields—has lagged the need, and friends groups have stepped up out of necessity. So seeing that budget grow a little is heartening.

Our parks aren’t just gathering spots for people and play. They hold floodwaters, clean stormwater and air, give us bike and pedestrian routes, store carbon, and host native plants and wildlife. The renovated Albemarle Park will include new fields, bike and walkways, and stormwater storage. The new Burr fields will include a walking path, shade and benches. You get the idea.

First Aid for Road Safety

The additional $2 million in federal funds turned toward traffic calming, on top of this year’s $350,000 in the operating budget, is improving more streets—although the need continues to be huge. This summer, two raised intersections—one at Franklin and Waverly and one at Brookline and Spaulding,—will help to slow cars on school walking routes. Look for other safety measures at Chestnut & Fuller, Commonwealth & Temple, Beacon & Langley, Beacon & Locke, Elliot & Mechanic, Watertown & Eddy, California & Chapel, Watertown & Chapel, and along Webster and Lexington streets.

Still concerning

I worry about two city budgets: stormwater and solid waste. You will see that your stormwater fee went up by $25 this year—but the city needs much more to repair the underground system and to remove nutrients to meet an EPA permit. Solid waste costs are due to go up sharply, and the DPW is focused on removing food waste. But we may need to move to a user fee to cover trash disposal as local landfills disappear and incinerators close.

Shorts:

• Number of motor vehicles paying Newton excise taxes: 69,500+

• Number of items borrowed from the library: over 1.5 million

• Most popular dog names: Luna, Bella, Lily, Rosie, Stella (of Newton’s 4,101 licensed dogs).

• Number of Gath and Crystal members (2023): 15,794

• Saplings planted: 729

• History meets the future: you can now access Historic Newton’s large catalog of artifacts and archives online.

What I’m reading—sponge cities: We’ve had some rain this year and last, and all the climate estimates are for more of the same across New England (because warm air holds more water). Couple that with a shallow water table, and we have reason to expect more flooding. One solution is to make the city more absorbent—and this will require all of us.

June Fun:

• Porchfest Saturday, June 1, 12-6 pm

• Nonantum Village Day, Sunday, June 2, 12-4 pm

• Sustainable Street Tour June 2, 1-4 pm in Waban—sign up here

• Pancake Breakfast for Newton's 150th Birthday Sunday, June 2nd, 10-12, 1164 Centre Street.

• Pride Flag Raising Tuesday, June 4th at 5:30p on the South Lawn of City Hall

• Highlands Village Day, Sunday, June 9th, 11-4

• Celebration of Queer Culture Saturday, June 15th 10a – 3p, Newton City Hall War Memorial and Lawn

• Juneteenth at the Hyde Playground Saturday, June 15th, 12-4

• The Strawberry Festival June 23, 5 pm

• Farmer’s Markets open June 16 at Newton North and June 18 at Cold Spring

• And don’t forget that swimming season opens soon.