Contact: Ken Parker, (617) 965-3723

Date: June 20, 2005

Late last year, several Newton residents independently approached me about running for Mayor of Newton. All of them made compelling arguments that Newton is in need of new leadership and that I would be a strong candidate for Mayor. I told them all that it was my intent to seek re-election to the Board of Aldermen this year.

However, over the course of the next few months, I began to think about all the issues I could work on as Mayor and started to give serious thought to running.

In particular, as Mayor I would work on:

1) Developing a long-term budget plan for the City that anticipates future financial problems, so that we can work to prevent them before they become crises;

2) Bringing in a new project management team to get the Newton North High School project back on track;

3) Reforming Newton’s capital budgeting process to make sure that our infrastructure is better maintained;

4) Improving relations with the Newton Firefighters and other city employees by treating them with respect and listening to their ideas and concerns;

5) Implementing the proposals of the Finance & Management Working Group to increase revenue, to control costs, and to improve management practices, so that we can have sufficient revenue to provide quality services including world-class public education;

6) Improving traffic flow through Newton by redesigning bottleneck intersections with modern vehicle sensors, so that we can all spend more time with our families and less time sitting in traffic;

7) Working on exciting projects like a performing arts center and expansion of the City’s museum;

8) Generating new tax revenue through environmentally-sensitive mixed-use development of the air rights over the Mass Pike and re-establishment of rail service to the Needham St. corridor;

9) Maintaining and improving our public safety response capacity, including keeping Fire Engine # 6; and

10) Establishing a Citywide wireless Internet-access network throughout Newton.

So there were a great many reasons to run. On the other hand, a race against an eight-year incumbent is almost always an uphill battle. The arguments against running also occurred to me:

1) I have been able to accomplish a great deal as an Alderman– from the expansion of Newton’s recycling program and the Smoke-Free Newton ordinance during my first term on the Board . . . to providing property tax deferrals and water and sewer rate discounts to low-income senior citizens . . . to working with Alderman Amy Sangiolo on the Tree Preservation Ordinance . . . to working with Alderman John Stewart to bring a Canadian Drug Reimportation program to Newton. . . to saving the City $175 thousand off the purchase price of Angino Farm. . . to protecting Newton residents from bright illumination shining in their windows with the light ordinance. If I give up my seat on the Board of Aldermen to run for Mayor, I will lose the ability to work on these and other issues.

2) A run for Mayor would be divisive– many of the people who support me have also been long-time supporters of Mayor Cohen. A contest between us would force many people into an uncomfortable decision. Even if I won, it would be a close race that could leave in its wake bad feeling in our community.

3) I can continue to contribute as an Alderman– While I have fourteen years of experience serving on the Board of Aldermen, I remain its youngest member, having been first elected at the age of twenty-one. I can continue to work on important issues facing Newton residents as an Alderman and, if and when the time is right, run for Mayor at some point in the future.

With strong arguments for and against running for Mayor this year, the decision was ultimately a personal one. But after much deliberation, I still say today what I told the people who encouraged me to run almost a year ago: I plan to run for re-election to the Newton Board of Aldermen and hope to have your support.

Thank you to the hundreds of Newton residents who asked me to run for Mayor this year. It is flattering and humbling that you would think of me for that important job. I look forward to continuing to serve you as one of your Aldermen and, if called upon one day, as your Mayor.