Spending Public Dollars Efficiently and Effectively

Newton residents expect excellent local services and are willing to pay for those services, but do not want to see their tax dollars spent inefficiently and irresponsibly. There are a number of areas on Newton government operations that can be made more efficient, reducing costs and improving the value realized for our tax dollars.

We propose the following initiatives to control costs and to increase the effectiveness of each dollar expended:

1) Improving maintenance of City buildings to lower repair, renovation, and replacement costs and to reduce energy consumption;

2) Implementing water conservation measures and expanding the use of gray water and well water for municipal purposes to lower MWRA water use charges;

3) Leveraging available technology to make service delivery more efficient and less labor-intensive;

4) Using regional cooperation to reduce redundancies and lower prices;

5) Developing a paving plan to improve the lifespan of City streets, lowering street repair and reconstruction costs; and

6) Increasing recycling rates through an array of incentives, including better recycling containers and removal of barriers to participation, lowering the City’s trash disposal costs.