The
Committee to Elect Ted Hess-Mahan
Issues
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Ensuring Accountability Ted has worked effectively with his fellow board members and the Mayor’s office on ensuring accountability in city government. As a member of the Long Range Planning Committee, he has urged the Mayor’s office to improve the budget planning process by setting forth clear goals and specific performance criteria for each department to ensure that your tax dollars are spent wisely. Ted has also asked the Mayor’s office to resume long-term budget forecasts and use municipal benchmarking to compare Newton’s costs and quality of services with those of other similar communities in order to aid strategic planning and efficiency. When the School Committee proposed cutting teachers, aides and librarians in the schools, Ted helped lead the effort by the Board of Aldermen to pass a resolution demanding that efforts be made to control administrative expenses and salaries and eliminate duplication and achieve cost savings through collaboration with other city departments as well as neighboring communities. Currently, Ted is working with Alderman Marcia Johnson on passing an amendment to the City Charter that would require the Mayor to prepare an annual long range financial forecast of the City’s needs and develop a long term strategic plan to meet those needs.
Newton faces a critical shortage of affordable housing—the total annual income for 1 in 5 households in Newton falls into the low to moderate range but only 1 out of every 20 homes is truly affordable to those families. Responding to concerns that Newton residents and municipal employees can no longer afford to buy homes here, Ted worked with the Newton Housing Office to develop the Newton Connection Homebuyer Assistance Program, to help income eligible first-time homebuyers who have grown up, gone to school or worked for the city to buy homes they could not otherwise afford and will keep the homes they purchase affordable to low to moderate income households for generations to come. Ted also helped develop a proposal for an incentive program that will help seniors and others living on fixed or modest incomes stay in their Newton homes by providing financial and technical assistance to create accessory apartments for low to moderate income renters. As a member of the Zoning & Planning and Land Use Committees, and as chairman of the Zoning Task Force, Ted consistently advocated for a comprehensive revision of the existing zoning ordinances, which are complex and burdensome, so that they are clear, consistent and fair. He supports the adoption of a Comprehensive Plan that will protect the unique and diverse character of Newton’s neighborhoods and villages by encouraging better planning and development for the future and improve Newton’s parking and traffic by modernizing its parking ordinances, emphasizing public transportation, and creating a citizen Transportation Advisory Committee. Ted also supports the creation of affordable housing through expansion of Newton’s inclusionary zoning ordinance, innovative homebuyer assistance programs, mixed-use development near public transportation that is eligible for state “smart growth” incentive payments, and funding modest sized, mixed income developments that fit in with their neighborhoods. Ted has consistently supported the
protection of open space in Newton through the use of the Community Preservation
Act, which has combined local and state matching funds to save more than 30
acres of open space, including Newton’s last working farm, and to improve
neighborhood parks and playgrounds throughout Newton for everyone to enjoy. Ted is also working hard to protect the environment and the health of all Newton citizens from the adverse impacts of noisy, polluting leaf blowers. Visit the Newton city website pages on the proposed leaf blower ordinance and amendments to the existing noise ordinance. Newton’s “3-for-3” Team Alderman-at-Large Ted Hess-Mahan,
Alderman-at-Large Leslie Burg and Ward Alderman Anthony “Sal” Salvucci have
worked together effectively in representing both Ward 3 and the City of Newton.
Aldermen Hess-Mahan and Burg will be on the ballot in every ward,
citywide. Alderman Salvucci will be
on the ballot in Ward 3 only. Please
support all three candidates for re-election from Ward 3. MAKE IT 3-FOR-3! Vote for Newton’s Ward 3 Team on
November 6th: Alderman-at-Large
Ward 3 (Vote for 2) RTED HESS-MAHAN Candidate for Re-Election RLESLIE A. BURG Candidate for
Re-Election Alderman
Ward 3 (Vote for 1) RANTHONY J. SALVUCCI Candidate for Re-Election
Ald. Ted Hess-Mahan, Ald. Leslie Burg
& Ald. Anthony Salvucci |
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