june update: follow the money

In this update, I summarize the recently-completed Fiscal 2020 city budget
Overview
New Knowledge
Energy Efficiency & Environment
Operational Efficiencies
Good to Know
Ongoing Issues
Office Hours
One of the most important tasks of City Council is to pass the city’s annual budget. Where we put our resources tells you what the community values. I think most of us know that the public schools get the largest portion of city revenue (more than 55%). To my thinking, that’s appropriate.
 
The rest is municipal (30%), retiree pension & benefits (10%) and debt service.

Overview
In broad strokes—the operating budget ($430 million in Fiscal 2020) is primarily funded by property taxes (83%). Our tax rate grows by 2.5% (on the whole, individual properties may differ), to which is added “new growth” from expansions or new buildings. This year’s new growth is $4.3 million; last year’s was $5.7 million. Debt service (primarily linked to school building projects) is $3.5 million, up from $3 million last year.
 
Newton’s ability to take on new initiatives is handicapped by pension and retiree benefit obligations. Newton has a $600 million retiree health obligation on top of a pension fund that is still not fully funded.
 
That said, the city is moving forward:

• Updating and integrating many of its functions from paper to paperless—it will be great when everything from permits to proposed ordinances are all searchable and accessible to multiple departments.
• The city website will also get upgraded software, with a focus on better search functions.
• A study of the western end of Commonwealth Avenue, near the Marriott, could enable Newton to piggy-back on the state highway department’s planned rehabilitation of the bridge over 128–in other words, saving Newton several million dollars, for construction to connect several river paths and make that section of road safer and more pleasant for driving, cycling and strolling.

New Knowldege
Council’s annual review of the budget is also a time when I always learn something new about what our city departments are doing. Here are some of these:
 
Energy Efficiency & Environment

• The city has 12 solar sites, which saved $550,000 in last year’s budget. The next phase of solar installations (Phase 4) is moving forward, but the incentives are less rich than they were for the previous three.
• The early childhood program building—which is currently housing the Horace Mann elementary school—will be retrofitted before the preschoolers move in and should be entirely electrically heated and cooled—a move away from fossil fuels in public buildings here.
• Over 50% of schools and municipal buildings have switched to LEDlight fixtures.
• Food waste is being collected for compost at Angier and Zervas, and organics collection is being explored for all of the schools. This will also save on trash hauling costs by lowering tonnage. 

Operational Efficiencies

• The city treasurer is making it possible for residents to pay for more city services with a credit card or on-line payment.
• Angier and Zervas building projects have come in under budget. Cabot looks to be on track to do so also, as the Building Department found few surprises. Day and Bigelow middle schools are getting new, more efficient, boilers.
• The Building Department is aggressively working to reduce its maintenance backlog and creating capacity for preventativemaintenance. This will also save the city money.
• Our street paving is starting to pay off—in terms of average condition, more streets are in good shape.
• There is more money in the traffic calming budget, but a backlog of 43 requests, some going back decades, and at current funding levels, Newton can address about 10 of them each year. That’s still 10 more than two years ago, and some are addressed when streets are reconstructed, but I’d like Newton to be able to address more of these, sooner.
• Newton’s analog parking meters will finally get upgraded so they can take credit cards (as well as coins) and be remotely adjusted—this will also make parking management easier. The app for the meters, parking enforcement hand-held devices and pay-by-phone software should also be able to handle digital parking permits.

Good to Know

• The Library is adding summer Sunday hours as of July. Newton is now second in usage and borrowing (in the state) after Boston.
• The city is spending more next year on park maintenance. 850 trees will be planted, which is the maximum that can be maintained—the forestry division also does not want large swaths of street trees hitting the end of their lives at once.
• Director of Special Needs Mark Kelly is getting a well-deserved national award for his work in Newton creating special needs camps and programs.
• If you need medical equipment like walkers, crutches, etc., the Senior Center has a lending program. It’s also a good place to donate durable medical equipment (not orthopedic boots).
• Newton Corner may be getting a new neighborhood association! This neighborhood was fractured by the MassPike; it would be good to have a community organization to help build better social connections.

Ongoing Issues

• Newton is hiring crossing guards. Anyone interested should contact the Police Department!
• About two signals or street lights is knocked down per month. These cost $10,000 each to repair.
• Vaping and opioid—or now fentanyl—misuse are ongoing challenges in our community, with both the Health department and the police taking on prevention 

Office Hours
I plan to join Andrea Kelley (W3, at large) Saturday, June 22, 3:30-5 pm at L’Aroma. Come join us for tea and conversation!
 
Are you around in July and August? Council has a lighter schedule, but if you are interested in office hours in your ward, send me a note, and I will schedule. Otherwise, I will resume office hours in September.

Enjoy the early summer!