VOTERS FOR A VIBRANT NEWTON
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Mayoral Endorsement

10/24/2021

 
sWe are excited to announce our endorsement in the upcoming Mayoral election. After carefully reviewing responses to our questionnaire from both candidates, our Steering Committee has chosen to endorse Mayor Ruthanne Fuller for re-election. Click here to read our endorsement announcement. 

City Council endorsements can be found by scrolling down on this page. 

Candidate Questionnaires

9/26/2021

 
Recently, we sent questionnaires to all candidates in contested races. Below you will find all of the responses we received. 

Mayor
Ruthanne Fuller
Amy Sangiolo

Ward One
Alison Leary
John Oliver
​Kevin Riffe
Maria Scibelli Greenberg

Ward Three
Andrea Kelley
​Meryl Kessler
​Pam Wright
Jim Cote

Ward Five
Deb Crossley
Andreae Downs
Bill Humphrey

Ward Six
Alicia Bowman
Vicki Danberg
​Lisa Gordon
Barry Bergman
Brenda Noel

2021 City Council endorsements

9/23/2021

 
We are excited to announce our endorsed candidates for City Council in the upcoming election, which will be held on Tuesday, November 2nd. We hope you will join us in supporting these candidates, who share our commitment to vibrant and robust village centers; a diverse and affordable housing stock; aggressive action on climate change; and ensuring a fiscally healthy and sustainable community. 

Councilors at-Large:
Ward One: Alison Leary
Ward Three: Andrea Kelley
Ward Three: Meryl Kessler
Ward Five: Deb Crossley
Ward Five: Andreae Downs
Ward Six: Alicia Bowman
Ward Six: Vicki Danberg

Ward Councilors:
Ward One: Maria Scibelli Greenberg
Ward Three: Jim Cote
Ward Five: Bill Humphrey
Ward Six: Brenda Noel

VVN Summer 2021 update

7/21/2021

 
Dear Friend,

We hope you are doing well and enjoying a safe and relaxing summer. As we begin to emerge from the devastation of the COVID-19 pandemic, there are renewed signs of vibrancy all across our city.

Continue reading

VOTERS FOR A VIBRANT NEWTON ENDORSES TWO CANDIDATES FOR THE MARCH 2021 SPECIAL ELECTION

2/8/2021

 
Newton, MA, February 8, 2021 - Voters for a Vibrant Newton (VVN) announces its endorsement of two candidates for the upcoming Special election in Newton on March 16, Madeline Ranalli for Councilor at-Large in Ward 1 and Bryan Barash for Councilor at-Large in Ward 2.  These candidates can be counted on to support VVN’s vision of Newton as an open and welcoming city with vibrant village centers, environmentally sustainable living, and diverse housing options. VVN was successful in helping elect 10 progressive City Councilors in November 2019. 

“There are significant differences in the positions taken by these two candidates and their opponents.  Maddy and Bryan have fought tirelessly to ensure that Newton remains true to its inclusive values by supporting initiatives that will significantly expand the number of affordable homes available to young families, older adults and people who work in Newton but cannot afford to live here.” said Allison Sharma, chair of Voters for a Vibrant Newton. 

Ward 1 at-large - MADELINE RANALLI  
Maddy is a lifelong Newton resident with a forward thinking perspective on critical issues facing our city - housing, transportation, racial justice and the environment.  She has worked on sustainability and climate change at the Massachusetts Department of Energy. She also served for two years as the Political Director of March for Our Lives: Massachusetts lobbying for gun violence prevention legislation.  Maddy represents a new generation of leaders and will bring refreshing energy to the City Council.

Ward 2 at-large - BRYAN BARASH 
As a tireless advocate for social justice, Bryan has served on the Newton Human Rights Commission and has worked collaboratively to promote affordable housing and transit-oriented development.  He will use his experience as General Counsel to State Senator Harriette Chandler, on the Newton Human Rights Commission, and on the boards of the Jewish Alliance for Law and Social Action (JALSA) and the New Art Center, to act in our best interests and fight for environmental sustainability, racial justice, and strong schools.
​
​Voters for a Vibrant Newton is endorsing Maddy and Bryan because they share our commitment to a city that is vital, welcoming, diverse and accessible. To reach those goals, VVN supports policies that:
  • Encourage the creation of affordable and attainable housing options;
  • Build communities that attract people of every age, ethnicity, and socioeconomic status;        
  • Make our village centers vibrant hubs to live, work, play, learn, and engage;
  • Address climate change by focusing on reducing Newton’s carbon footprint; and,
  • Expand our tax base to ensure our city remains financially healthy and able to provide excellent services.     

​About Voters for a Vibrant Newton
Voters for a Vibrant Newton is a Political Action Committee formed to keep Newton an open, welcoming city with vibrant village centers that provide environmentally sustainable living and put Newton on a solid fiscal footing. More information can be found online at https://www.vibrantnewton.org/.

Voters for a Vibrant Newton endorses candidates for the November city election

10/21/2019

 
Emerging Political Action Committee focuses on housing, creating vibrant village centers, fighting climate change and helping solve the city’s financial crisis
Newton, MA, October 21, 2019 – Voters for a Vibrant Newton, a Political Action Committee (PAC) formed to promote an inclusive, forward-looking vision for the city today, announced its slate of endorsements for the coming election. The candidates chosen demonstrate a commitment to the PAC’s goals - that Newton remains an open and welcoming city, with vibrant village centers, environmentally sustainable living, and a solid fiscal footing.
 
“Newton’s character is in its people, and we want Newton to remain an open, welcoming and vibrant city where people from all backgrounds can build a life.” said Allison Sharma, chair of Voters for a Vibrant Newton. “We want walkable village centers and a range of housing options that will allow our older neighbors to downsize in the city they love, and that will also attract the younger generation that is missing from our community. We believe that well-planned, thoughtful development near village centers and transit will help us do our part in the battle against climate change. The candidates we endorse reflect these values.”
 
When choosing which candidates to support, the members of Voters for a Vibrant Newton looked at several factors including:

  • Keeping Newton an open, welcoming city – Newton has long been a city where all kinds of people could build a great life. But how many of us could afford to move here today? Will our kids build their lives here? Can our teachers, firefighters, and police live in the community they serve? Do seniors looking to downsize have options to stay in the city they love? Will companies considering locating here be deterred by lack of workforce housing? To be a truly welcoming city, Newton needs to find ways to provide a range of housing options that people can afford.
 
  • Maintaining vibrant village centers – We want our village centers to be fun and vibrant, with public plazas, better sidewalks, and a safe, inviting environment for people of all ages. Carefully planned mixed-use development near transit and village centers will attract new retail tenants, generate the additional foot traffic our small businesses need to thrive, and provide wonderful options for young people and seniors who’d like to downsize. 
 
  • Providing environmentally sustainable living – Climate change is a serious threat and it is critical that we have a comprehensive approach to address it. There is a tremendous amount we can do at the local level to reduce our carbon footprint, including stricter environmental building codes for new construction, more efficient modes of transportation, and smart land use that includes efficient, housing near transit and shopping to reduce automobile dependence.
 
  • Putting Newton on solid fiscal footing – Newton is facing serious financial pressures. It is imperative that we maintain our terrific public schools. We need fair, competitive contracts for our teachers and other city workers. Our senior center is inadequate for our growing senior population.  Our roads are in disrepair, and we have unfunded pensions and other employee-related liabilities. Expanding revenue through thoughtful growth is essential to meeting our budget challenges.
 
The full list of candidates includes:
 
Councilors At Large
Ward 2: Susan Albright, Jake Auchincloss
Ward 3: Andrea Kelley
Ward 5: Deb Crossley, Andreae Downs
Ward 6: Alicia Bowman, Vicki Danberg
 
Ward Councilors
Ward 1: Maria Scibelli Greenberg
Ward 2: Bryan Barash
Ward 3: Carolina Ventura
Ward 5: Bill Humphrey
Ward 6: Brenda Noel
 
About Voters for a Vibrant Newton
Voters for a Vibrant Newton is a Political Action Committee formed to keep Newton an open, welcoming city with vibrant village centers that provide environmentally sustainable living and put Newton on a solid fiscal footing. More information can be found online at https://www.vibrantnewton.org/.
 
 
# # #

voters for a vibrant newton Contribution policy

10/18/2019

 
​The Voters for a Vibrant Newton PAC contribution policy is as follows:
  • All donations shall comply with the rules, regulations and limits set for Political Action Committees by the Office of Campaign & Political Finance for the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. These rules include but are not limited to:
    • $500 maximum contribution from an individual.
    • $50 maximum cash contribution, $100 maximum money order contribution.
    • The PAC may not accept contributions from businesses (corp., LLC, LLP)
    • All contributions must include the name and address of the contributor.
    • Contributions of $200 or more must report the occupation and employer of the contributor.
    • $200 maximum contribution from a registered lobbyist.
  • Donations will not be accepted from developers/builders with projects, current or pending, before the City Council.
  • Donations will not be accepted from land use/ zoning attorneys working in Newton.
  • Donations will not be accepted from people who have business pending before the City Council.
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