On Nov. 7, you will vote on whether to change Newton’s constitution, the City Charter. As sitting Ward Councilors in Wards 2 and Ward 5, we urge you to vote NO.
Currently Newton has 24 city councilors. Each of Newton’s eight wards has three councilors: one ward councilor elected solely by the voters of that ward, and two at-large councilors elected by voters from the entire city.
The proposed change reduces the City Council to twelve at-large councilors, and eliminates the ward councilor seats.
Newton residents have voted previously to reduce the size of the then-called Board of Aldermen, but they never expressed interest in eliminating ward councilors. The non-binding resolutions approved in 1996 and 2000 called for reducing the board to 16, with the understanding that it would be eight ward councilors and eight at-large councilors.
Here are three reasons why it’s a bad idea to accept this charter proposal that eliminates ward councilors.
First, the primary responsibility of a ward councilor is to represent the citizens at the village level. Ward councilors bring the concerns of individuals to City Hall and advocate for them, so the ward councilor is typically the first person residents call when they run into a municipal roadblock. Ward councilors maintain vibrant village life for residents of their wards. They fight for safe roadways, sidewalks, modernized school buildings and other municipal structures while building consensus from which to take action. Through connection and responsive action, they can significantly improve the overall quality of life in Newton. This works well because ward councilors are elected by — and accountable to — the voters of the ward.
Second, there is a built-in system of accountability for ward councilors, because if one is unresponsive to his or her ward, another resident can easily run against them and win. Such a challenge is much more difficult in a citywide election. Ward councilors thus have an obligation and incentive to be helpful and responsive to their wards. In contrast, councilors in the proposed plan could be completely unresponsive to their wards and still easily win re-election, even without the support of their own ward.
Third, ward-level campaigns are less expensive than city-wide campaigns, so they can attract candidates from across the economic spectrum, representing a rich array of viewpoints. Candidates for Ward Council can meet residents face to face, compared with the sometimes impersonal nature of citywide campaigns. A ward councilor candidate with a day job and kids can knock on every door in a ward, which is not possible in an at-large election spanning the entire city (which is twice the size of a state representative district).
How extreme is the proposed change? The majority of cities and towns in Massachusetts — 341 out of 351 — have some level of district or ward representation. Only 10 have all at-large elections.
If you would like to see a smaller City Council, there is another option. We, along with 12 other city councilors, have filed legislation to reduce the size of the City Council to eight ward councilors plus eight at-large councilors. This cuts the size of the City Council by a third and maintains local representation.
Note the process to move to this eight-and-eight model, which will begin with a hearing on Nov. 8, moves forward only if you vote No on the Charter Commission proposal on Nov. 7. This would then take the form of a home rule petition approved by the committee, the City Council, the mayor, the State Legislature, and the voters in November 2018.
This “home rule petition” is straightforward — it is the same process used to change from “alderman” to “city councilor.” Our state legislators have committed to filing this legislation for the city.
Vote No on Nov. 7. This will open the path to a smaller City Council while retaining local accountability and representation — the hallmark of democracy.
John Rice is the Ward 5 city councilor and Emily Norton is the Ward 2 city councilor.