SECURING NEWTON’S FINANCIAL FUTURE

Budget Submission – FY11

Mayor Setti D. Warren

April 2010
 My Budget Philosophy
• The budget is not math exercise – it is a tool to
move Newton forward– faced with a $2.4M
deficit, it needs to be closed responsibly

• Keeping teachers in the classroom and public

safety personnel on the street is my highest
priority
 Budget Philosophy (cont.)
• Eliminate waste, duplication and programs
that don’t work
• Don’t raise or introduce new user fees
• Maintain service levels
• Reduce cost of non-essential services
• Invest in the future
• Take first steps – even for programs that will
take time
 Our Approach
• Look deeply at each department; no cookie-
cutter / across-the-board cuts
• Pursue all ideas – big and small
• Seek input as widely as possible
• Begin conversations with all unions on
reducing health care costs, other initiatives
 Reducing Waste
Initiatives/Potential Impact

Pursue a vigorous plan to reduce energy consumption in our buildings and fuel
used by our vehicles-- a 10% overall reduction is achievable through education
and tighter management
Coordinate bulk purchase of custodial supplies City-wide; schools and municipal

Winterize/close select public buildings that are little used during heating season

Substantially alter management of the City vehicle fleet - both in size and usage
policy. Create a centralized pool of vehicles, starting at City Hall, eliminate
excess automobile insurance coverage, and negotiate with our unions to
eliminate the policy of allowing cars to be taken home
 Eliminating Duplication

Initiatives/Potential Impact

Consolidate and streamline snow removal under one City department resulting
in improved management and efficiency of snow removal operations.

Shift to bi-weekly rather than weekly paychecks and move to direct deposit pay,
subject to union agreement.

Eliminate the position of deputy executive secretary in the Elections

Department, absorbing the work in the existing organizational structure.
 Reducing Non-Essential Costs
Initiatives/Potential Impact

Reduce our reliance on outside counsel in the Law Department through reorganization
of staff to do more work in-house.

Reduce one data supervisor position in Elections Department by effectively

redistributing duties within the department.

Eliminate a deputy commissioner position in Parks & Recreation as well as two existing
vacant positions in the workforce

Eliminate a volunteer coordinator in Heath & Human Resources without diminishing

core services-- redistribute work to Parks & Recreation Department
 Making Government More Effective
Initiatives/Potential impact

Improve parking code enforcement through introduction of automated license plate

readers resulting in increased collection of overtime parking fines

Initiate trucking code enforcement by Police Department resulting in collection of

safety violation and overweight trucking fines

Reassign the duties of three of the Public Works workforce thus reducing staff without
impacting the delivery of current services

Outsource the routine maintenance of streetlights generating a savings

 Investing for the Future
Initiatives/Potential impact

Couple a 311 telephonic system with web-based access for service requests resulting
in improved provision and tracking of services to residents

Create an Other Post Employment Benefits (OPEB) Liability Fund to ensure that City
meets its obligations to retirees in the the long term

Hire new Public Buildings Commissioner with a focus on capital asset management
and assessment of infrastructure needs City-wide

Strengthen link between centralized and departmental information technology (IT)

resulting in improved decision-making and productivity City-wide. Leverage improved
IT to allow thousands of account inquiries to be made on-line

Replace a bookkeeper position with a housing rehabilitation planner in the Planning

Department