Newton officially entered a new chapter in City government on January 1 as a packed City Hall gallery gathered for the inauguration of the City’s new administration. Massachusetts Governor Maura Healey attended the event to help usher in the new Mayor, City Councilors, and School Committee members.
Healey noted that the inauguration coincided with the beginning of the 250th year since America’s founding.
“Massachusetts, to be clear, is where it all began,” Healey said. “When you think about the birth of American democracy, it really starts with local government.”
Healey highlighted Newton’s influence across the Commonwealth, pointing to the city’s leadership in education, housing, transit-oriented development, and civic participation. She pledged the state’s continued partnership with Newton, telling the newly sworn-in officials that they would have a partner in her administration as they move forward.
James Yeh, an 11-year-old, award-winning vocalist from Newton, led the attendees in song for the National Anthem at the beginning of the event and America the Beautiful near the end.
Supreme Judicial Court Chief Justice Kimberly Budd, a Newton resident, offered remarks and administered the oath of office taken by the new Mayor.
“It’s worth remembering that the roots of American independence and democracy can be traced in part to the New England tradition of local self-government,” she said. “Town government gave ordinary people the experience of liberty and democracy in action.”
Mayor Marc Laredo then swore in each City Councilor and School Committee member, a process that unfolded amid quiet conversation in the crowd. At moments, the formality gave way to celebration, as family members and friends broke into cheers when their loved ones took the oath.
In his speech marking his induction, Laredo reflected on growing up on Bellevue Street with his brother Dan and sister Debbie, as the son of Jewish immigrant parents. He shared that his late parents each fled desperate conditions – one leaving Nazi Germany as a teenager, the other surviving a concentration camp in what is now the Czech Republic – experiences he said shaped his values and commitment to public service.
Laredo also thanked several of Newton’s recent mayors, including the late mayors Theodore Mann, Thomas Concannon, and Setti Warren, as well as former mayors David Cohen and Ruthanne Fuller. He said they contributed greatly to the city, each in their own unique way.
Laredo outlined three overarching goals for his administration: providing excellent public education, delivering high-quality City services, and strengthening community across Newton.
“To be effective, local government must first deliver basic services in a dependable and efficient manner…” Laredo said.
Referring to his work leading his law firm, he added that some of the most successful work often goes unnoticed.
“Some of our best results are the ones you have never heard of, and that is true with basic City services,” Laredo said. “If we do our jobs well, you may often take success for granted.”
Laredo said that while dependable basic services are essential, City governments must also think beyond them. He said his administration will work to build stronger relationships with new and existing businesses to make Newton a more welcoming place, while also prioritizing the use of technology, data-driven decision-making, and sustainability across City operations.
“It means growing our city by responsibly adding new housing while building on what makes Newton such a special place to live,” he said. “It means breathing even more life into our arts, culture, and community events, including partnering with our non-profits and other community groups, to help bring us all together.”
Collaboration emphasized
Near the end of the ceremony, City Council President John Oliver led a brief meeting of the City Council to conduct some initial business. In speaking at the start of that session, he said that the City Council needs to:
- “Establish strong, productive working relationships with all of the City departments, with the Mayor’s Office, PTOs, special interest groups, the School Committee, NPS …to make sure that all …feel welcome at our table, …to tell us what we’re doing hopefully right …but definitely when we’re doing something wrong.”
- “Make our process more approachable, [with] more people involved in the decisions we’re making, …comfortable joining us and telling us what they think.”
- “Embrace that philosophy [of Newton being a welcoming city].”
School Committee Vice Chair Jason Bhardwaj addressed the gathering, noting that Chair Alicia Piedalue was unable to attend but collaborated with him on his remarks. He said that they want to “renew a strong commitment to collaborations with our partners in City government. He noted that with the recent election, the “cumulative tenure on the School Committee today dropped by about fivefold, …yet every one of our new members has spent hundreds of hours listening to constituents, very much in the spirit of local government that our Governor mentioned,” and he noted their collective, “deep lived experience as parents of children in Newton Public Schools, spanning the full K-12 spectrum.” Regarding the upcoming budget cycle, he spoke of the importance of alignment and connectivity among all parts of City government “to balance priorities across the whole city.” He noted Mayor Laredo’s unique experience as an NPS student, parent, and former School Committee Chair. He said the School Committee is “entering this next chapter with humility, urgency, and optimism.”
Back to the basics
Laredo had said that running the City will be a team effort with the talented team he has assembled around himself, including Chief Operating Officer Josh Morse, who was the Public Buildings Commissioner in the previous administration.
Speaking after the ceremony, Morse said the inauguration showcased both the excitement of new leadership and the enduring role of municipal government. A City employee for 18 years, Morse said that days like the inauguration offer a chance to see “democracy in action,” as new officials step into public service alongside experienced leaders.
Morse echoed Laredo’s push to focus on the fundamentals of government, saying most residents simply want local government to deliver the basics well. “Paving streets, repairing sidewalks, fixing street lights, having wonderful parks and an incredible public education system,” he said, describing those core functions as the foundation of effective local government.
Coming together
Laredo emphasized a unique challenge facing the entire country at the moment, making civic engagement difficult – widespread loneliness as young people spend more time on their screens and older adults feel a heightened sense of isolation.
“That insularity also contributes to an unhealthy dialogue when we are faced with difficult community decisions,” Laredo said. “But it does not have to be this way.”
He said although many people are already involved in many commissions, boards, and other groups in the city, there can still be even more collaboration.
Newly sworn-in Ward Councilor Julie Irish (Ward 5) said the inauguration made the responsibility of her role feel real after months of campaigning. She described feeling honored by the moment and said the ceremony underscored the importance of local government in shaping residents’ daily lives.
“It makes an impact in how you vote for the city and change it,” she said. “I take it seriously, as it’s important.”
Community participation
Rabbi Michelle Robinson of Temple Emanuel provided the Invocation. Senior Co-Ministers of the First Unitarian Universalist Society in Newton, Rev. Dr. Debra W. Haffner and Red. Joel G. Miller, offered a prayer for the city and country. Rev. Dr. Eric C. Jackson, Pastor of Eliot Church of Newton, offered a prayer for the newly elected officials.
Newton South High School student musicians Max Stober, Alex Xhoja, Jared Evan, and Bennett Frost performed during the inauguration and reception that followed. Young musicians from the Suzuki School of Music performed in the City Hall Rotunda beforehand.
See NewTV’s video of the inauguration and the Fig City News photo gallery of the event.
