During the 10th Annual Charles River Regional Chamber’s Fall Business Conference, held on Friday morning, Ruthanne Fuller, the outgoing mayor of Newton, said that we need to stop looking to the past for answers and focus on the future instead.
“We cannot rely on the quiet dogmas of the past,” said Fuller. “The status quo is not an option.”
Fuller, Newton’s 31st mayor, became the first woman elected to the position in Newton when she won the mayoral election in 2018. Fuller has been a resident of Newton for nearly three decades, where she first served the city through nonprofits and then eventually as a city councilor. Now, she is exiting her role as mayor after serving two terms.
In light of the governmental instability affecting local and national institutions, Fuller offered guidance for both current and future generations.
“Think anew, act anew,” Fuller said. “It is go time, everybody.”
According to Fuller, numerous governmental departments are facing significant resource constraints. The rising costs associated with housing, childcare, food insecurity, and other essential living expenses are adversely impacting working families in Newton.
“Our commonwealth faces serious challenges,” Fuller said. “Housing and childcare costs that squeeze families, long commutes that steal time from our lives, rising food insecurity.”
The issue of housing affordability is one of Newton’s most significant areas of concern, as the inability to find affordable housing hinders the city’s continued development, especially considering the tax revenue generated from these properties.
“Ninety percent of the city of Newton’s tax revenues, and 80 percent of Newton’s new growth in tax revenues, is from housing,” Fuller said.
Given the prevailing uncertainty, Fuller said she wants to make it so that generations of Newtonians can afford to live in the city.
“We want the leaders of the next generation to stay here, and I would say our older adults, to be able to afford to stay here as well,” Fuller said.
Fuller also drew attention to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) cuts that took effect this month due to the ongoing government shutdown. In response, Fuller led a citywide food drive to Newton’s three food pantries: Centre Street Food Pantry, Newton Food Pantry, and the Arabic Baptist Church Pantry.
“In 48 hours, we figured out how people could drop off food—non-perishables, no glass, by the way,” Fuller said. “We need you to drop it off so that we could support the three food pantries and the Newton housing authority, as SNAP is cut off.”
Fuller concluded her farewell address by acknowledging the struggles with governmental collaboration that have occurred in recent years.
“It turns out we do disagree with each other, sometimes on means and methods, and we do it, I would argue, with not enough grace and too much anger,” Fuller said.
Despite the political division and difficult times that the community and nation are going through, Fuller reminded the audience that she is proud to have served Newton.
“I am so grateful to be living in Massachusetts, and in my case, in Newton,” Fuller said. “We respect rights, including those of women and the LGBTQ community. We are the Athens of America. It’s true we’re wicked smart. We have talent galore.”
