Question # 5:
Why should someone vote for you? Please sum up your qualifications and why you believe you are the better choice.
This is the question that most voters or members of the press are either too afraid or too polite to ask, isn’t it? I was taught to believe that humility was important and that I should just let people judge me on my past deeds and words. Running for office though presents a special situation. We need to amplify both those words and deeds to impact as many voters as we can when some decide who to vote for based on a one minute conversation or a quick read of a piece of literature. Choosing a Mayor is an important responsibility though, and sometimes humility must get overridden.
I do believe that my character, dedication to service and life’s work have best prepared me to lead Newburyport. I have a Master of Education with Distinction and a law degree, and they are both tools earned after degrees in Speech Pathology and in Communication Disorders. The level of achievement isn’t what’s important, but that my studies stem from a desire to serve others. I’ve used them to teach college courses in human resources and law, training young adults for service. I’ve also used that training while working as a volunteer mediator in our court system and before that for fourteen years as a senior manager at the community service organization Turning Point here in Newburyport. I’ve taught Sunday school, coached Pioneer League, and delivered meals to seniors. I’ve also written for a law journal, overseen a staff of 200 at a nonprofit, and earned critical educational grant money for challenged school districts in the area.
A mayor certainly needs to be able to run a meeting, kiss the occasional baby, and deliver speeches but in the next few years a mayor may also need to decide who doesn’t get a deserved vacation, who takes a pay cut, and who loses a job that supports a family and do this with compassion. A mayor will also have to understand how to negotiate contracts, how to write a grant for school funding and how to read a billionaire’s body language.
And very importantly a mayor needs to both understand and be sympathetic to the needs of our schools. I have almost two decades of professional experience as an educator and can have an immediate positive impact on our schools and our children’s futures.
A mayor needs to both understand and be compassionate about the needs of our $50 million dollar budget and how decisions made here affect every aspect of city life. I led the campaign to make our city and school budgets understandable. I have worked with the Mayor on our current budget leading to a 1.2 million dollar cash reserve. I chair the City Council’s Budget and Finance Committee and I thoroughly understand the city’s finances. There is hard fiscal work ahead and I won’t need on the job training.
In closing, I believe my professional experience in education, law, management and finance are the right skills needed at this critical point to lead our city. I ask for your vote on November 3rd.
Question #4
With little or no hope of increased Chapter 70 funding (as well as the very real possibility of decreased funding), can we really hope to fulfill the goals of the strategic plan adopted by the School Committee? Would you consider an override or dept exclusion in order to start to replace programs?
As a community we must come to terms with the reality that there is little hope of the school funding formula (c. 70) changing in the near future. High-need school districts such as Lowell, Lawrence, and Springfield are strong advocates for the current funding formula as they directly benefit and have powerful advocates in the legislature. What we can do is continue to advocate for changes were there is a greater probability of affecting change. This would include circuit breaker funding for special needs as well as charter school funding.
In regards to the implementation of the new strategic plan, this five year plan was developed with broad representation across our community and reflects consensus in core values and goals in three distinct areas- Learning, Community and Wellness. Many of the identified goals are being implemented. For example, we are transitioning from a thirteen-year-old reading program in the elementary schools to a new researched-based program. In addition, metrics are being established to set baselines to evaluate student performance from year-to-year as well as in cohorts. The Newburyport Education Foundation has been instrumental in supporting this school-wide literacy initiative.
In addition, math and literacy coaches are providing support and mentoring to teachers in the K-8 grades and this work is highly valued by the school principals as well as the teachers. Seasoned teachers are also paired with new teachers to provide mentoring and support. These examples illustrate creative and cost-effective means of providing professional development for our teachers.
Inclusionary practices for students with disabilities are also well underway and embraced throughout the school district. This significant shift in policy and practice creates learning environments in which all students are able to participate with teams of teachers and specialists.
The school system has also begun to develop written consensus curriculum for all grades and all subjects with the completion of curriculum mapping in English Language Arts for K-5 and all subject areas for grades 6-8. The continued work in this area will inform differentiated assessment, reduce redundancy, and improve alignment with the State Curriculum Frameworks.
Within the high school, 25 students are participating in the Virtual High School, a distance learning approach to coursework. Again, the Newburyport Education Foundation was key in helping us to finally realize the potential of the distance learning classroom designed during the high school renovations.
These examples clearly indicate that the new Strategic Plan is well underway. As we await word from the State on the next round of budget cuts, there may be initiatives that may have to be deferred within the plan but overall, the implementation of this plan is important to continue the recovery process in our schools after years of cuts. A debt exclusion may need to be reviewed in the future, but not in this economy and not at this time.
Question #3
How as Mayor, how would you go about creating new revenue streams for the City?
There are limited means for municipalities to raise revenues. Currently our revenues are derived primarily from property taxes, motor vehicle excise taxes, room occupancy tax, penalties and interest on taxes and excises, licenses and permits, and investment income. This past fiscal year 37.7 million was collected in property taxes, 4 million from the other accounts listed above, and 4.3 million in state aid. The total budget of 46.4 million still is inadequate to cover all the city and schools needs especially in terms of our infrastructure and streets and sidewalks.
Creating new revenue streams could include paid parking and a parking garage and approval of the increased meals and hotel taxes. Paid parking must be carefully evaluated to meet the needs of the residents and business owners. We must look at resident parking stickers and minimum wage retail workers as well as the city profit before setting up paid parking in our municipal lots (on street parking should remain free). The increased meals and hotel tax has the potential to generate $200,000 for the city but I do not believe it the time to impose another tax or fee increase in the city. All across the city residents have voiced concerns regarding the difficulties they are experiencing in making ends meet.
Another option to generate revenue is in the creation of a Clean and Sustainable Energy Department. This department could be developed by tapping into the numerous grant initiatives available from the federal and state government and then generate revenue by completing weatherization and energy audits or other services for residential homes and business to support staffing and generate some additional revenue.
It may be worth looking at running our own ambulance service. There are mixed views on whether this would be cost-efficient and generate sufficient revenue to warrant the effort. However, at this juncture, as we wait for the State’s next round of cuts due to another shortfall in revenue projections, everything must be on the table.
Finally, I believe we have great potential in our waterfront to generate additional revenues during the boating season. Upgrades to docks and services have occurred over the past several years and additional long term planning to continue to develop these services and generate revenues is worthwhile.
In closing, everyone I speak with has felt the impact of the economic downturn and as elected officials we have an obligation to work within our existing budgets and revenue streams. What we can do is find greater efficiencies in the way we provide services as we did this past year with our shared waste agreement with Amesbury. Regionalization of appropriate services and shared agreements must continue to be aggressively explored to find new ways of providing quality services with reduced costs.
Question #2
Now that your campaigns are both in full swing, what are the top 3 issues that voters ask you about and what is your response to them?
As I walk through the wards talking to voters, there are issues raised specific to a particular neighborhood, but there are also consistent issues raised regardless of where a voter resides. These issues include schools, waterfront development and the landfill.
In regards to schools the concerns focus on budget short falls and the continuing impact on our educational system as well as the physical condition of the schools, particularly Bresnahan. My response to the budget issues include:
- Freeze all spending with approvals occurring at the Superintendent level;
- Hope that teacher contract negotiations will focus on the current economic position and raises will be contained if we are to avoid further teacher reductions and program cuts with the bleak outlook for FY11;
- Allocate school choice funding to operating costs rather than capital costs;
- Continue to advocate for additional relief from the State especially for the state circuit breaker program for special education that has a greater chance of additional funding than changes to c. 70 funding formula; and
- Aggressively pursue appropriate grant funds.
The waterfront issues cover a range of topics including the Cecil Plan for the NRA lot, New England Development’s plan, paid parking and the need for a garage. I believe the Cecil Plan for the NRA lot encompasses all the resident ideas generated from several surveys and takes every space and fills it – a playground, skating rink, fountains, sculptures, amphitheater, buildings for function rentals, and shops. I cannot support this plan; it should be simple, a beautiful, open space with gardens and a few amenities but NO BUILDINGS. Paid parking in the lots downtown is long overdue as a revenue stream for the city. The results of the intermodal study are forthcoming and will include the top three sites for a garage. I believe we need to plan for the future and site a garage just outside of downtown that will also provide a revenue stream.
The landfill is a complex situation that has caused a horrific impact on the surrounding neighborhood. We need to the update the Noisesome Trade agreement with New Ventures to ensure the city has some leverage in addressing gas emissions and the continuing impact on residents. Test results of wetlands pollutions, impact on the vernal pool, and encroachment on the city property all are issues that need to be addressed during the final closure process. Based on results, further agreement and resolution of how these will be addressed must be accomplished. I also would like the ad hoc committee with neighborhood representation to begin meeting again- many of these residents have become well-versed in landfills and it is important to have their input during the closure process.
In closing, I am pleased that so many residents are interested in what is taking place in our city and asking important questions. I look forward to our continued dialogue in the final weeks of the campaign.
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Question #1:
What will Newburyport look like in 10 years and what will you do in your coming administration to get us to your vision?
It is the year 2019 and Newburyport has a waterfront that is the envy of the east coast. The NRA lot has been transformed into a beautiful open space with green lawns and gardens.
The waterfront west is developed with design and architecture integrated with the historical structures of our downtown. The build-out is a model of smart growth with mixed use of residences and businesses and a moderate size hotel and conference facility. On the corner of Titcomb St. and Merrimac St. is also a mixed used parking facility that generates consistent revenue for the city for upkeep of the downtown. The area around Market Sq. is closed to traffic and an electric trolley provides transportation throughout the downtown area. Self-service bicycle rentals are available.
Our schools have undergone dramatic changes with total renovations to the Bresnahan and Middle school. Our curriculum is state-of-the art and we have embraced the concepts of Extended Learning with the school day running until 4 PM. High School students are taking college level courses through virtual classrooms and a minimum of five world languages are offered beginning in the elementary schools.
Establishing the Affordable Housing Trust in 2009 has paid off and 25 percent of all housing in the city is affordable and our children and seniors are finding it easier to remain living here.
So, how would my administration move us towards this vision? First, we begin with the Brownfield’s study of the NRA lot and begin clean up of the site with federal and/or state dollars. The inter-modal study is completed and site selection occurs for the garage. Federal, state and grant funding is sought to begin design and development. Ongoing meetings are held with New England Development regarding the development of waterfront west.
The city establishes a Department of Clean and Sustainable Energy through federal and state stimulus funding. The Energy Advisory Committee continues to serve as a strong source of resources for the city regarding clean energy initiatives and aids in securing grant funds. Grant funding and fund-raising results in the purchase of the bike rentals as are used all over Paris, France.
The state finally begins movement on the waiting list for new school buildings and renovation projects. The RAN Middle School project is accepted and renovations begin. The Middle school submits a grant to the MA Department of Elementary and Secondary Education to complete a year-long study for extending the school day. Teachers, parents, students and community members actively participate in this process. The re-introduction of world languages begins at the middle school with the purchase of the Rossetta Stone for three languages and students receive mentoring from community members fluent in these languages. The school administration develops a contract with Northern Essex Community College to offer an early college model in social sciences. Teachers from the high school are paired with college faculty in learning communities to teach a yearlong course that results in students earning 6 college credits at a reasonable cost to families.
