Unknown territory in Newton

Leadership change may be 'profound'

Newton residents may soon get more change than they bargained for - not only a new mayor, but perhaps a new superintendent of schools as well.

While critics welcome what they view as a much-needed leadership change for the city, others wonder about the prospect of losing years of political and managerial experience.

After 11 years in Newton, Superintendent Jeffrey Young was selected last week as a finalist to run the Cambridge schools. Mayor David Cohen is not seeking a fourth term in the fall municipal elections, which will also allow voters to elect new aldermen and School Committee members.

"It's a new day, a new dawn, and a great opportunity for a city that's been damaged in recent years," said Jeff Seideman, a candidate for alderman.

When Seideman ran for a seat on the board two years ago, Cohen and Young were secure in their respective positions.

Cohen, a staunch liberal who left a state representative's seat for Newton City Hall in 1998, established his dominance over local politics in breezing through two elections without serious threat. Young is praised for creating equality between the city's two high schools, and for building standardized curriculum and procedures that could be used throughout the district.

But as the price tag of the new Newton North High School grew, so did a groundswell of displeasure with the way the city was being run, seemingly reflected in the overwhelming defeat of a requested $12 million property tax increase last May. After becoming a lightning rod for critics of the proposed Proposition 2 1/2 override, Cohen announced during the campaign that he would not run for reelection this fall, hoping to bolster its chances.

This winter, the Citizen Advisory Group, appointed by the mayor to develop strategies for bolstering Newton's finances, called it a "city without goals" and said the quality of its schools is eroding.

Seats on the 24-member Board of Aldermen and eight-member School Committee are at stake in the election, but it's the positions of mayor and superintendent that are "absolutely key," said Ruthanne Fuller, the advisory panel's vice chairwoman.

Young oversees a school budget of about $160 million. Cohen is in charge of the $115 million municipal budget.

"These two men for many years have shepherded our city and made the investment decisions, and we certainly should be grateful for their years of service," said Fuller. "We will be losing a lot of years of experience and deep knowledge."

Young is not out the door yet, with the Cambridge superintendent's post yet to be filled. The School Committee has until June 30 to renew his contract, which runs through June 2010. His $247,870 salary last year was the highest among city employees.

But if Young does leave, there will be a "convergence of new leadership on both the municipal and school side in combination with a recession. It guarantees that there will be significant change in both management style and priorities," Fuller said.

"The recession alone probably would have done that. But when you couple that with new people, it's guaranteed," she said.

School Committee member Susan Heyman said if both Cohen and Young leave, it would be "a profound change" for the city.

"At times when the economic situation is so dire, dollars are so scarce, and the dollars you have have to be deployed and spent very carefully - it gets very intense," she said. "Whoever walks into this is going to have a difficult time because these are difficult times."

School Committee member Reenie Murphy said the city is "still wounded from the price tag of Newton North and the override defeat," and hence still focused on its disagreements.

"My hope is the next mayor can really bring people together and say, 'Let's talk about what we agree on and see if we can make progress,' " she said.

Seideman, a longtime critic of school and municipal officials, said he never doubted Young's or Cohen's capabilities or intentions, but disagreed with their priorities. He said voters should look for reform-minded candidates who will work to put money back in the budget.

Fuller said that if the School Committee must find a new superintendent, and as the voters consider a new mayor, they should search for people who will focus on "transparency, increased communication about goals and results, and a willingness to talk openly about making the difficult decisions."

Even with the possible loss of experience, Fuller said, there is "such a strong support network around these offices that even with new people coming in . . . I'm not worried about the basic functions of the city."

"It'll be new energy and new discussions and a fresh look at everything we do."

Rachana Rathi can be reached at rrathi@globe.com.