Letter: Don't delay voting for Smith

Excerpted from Daily News of Newburyport (link)

“To the editor:

Fiscal responsibility is at the core of a city’s duty to its citizens. Too often the “fiscally responsible” mantle is bestowed upon officials who say just say no or present obstacles to new projects or expenditures. But that approach is not fiscally responsible as it too often leads to delays that end up costing the city more time and money in the long run.

That is the view of Owen Smith, candidate for Ward 5 city councilor. Smith has been critical of the delays on city projects. His straightforward approach is one of the reasons Ward 5 voters should elect him as their councilor. It is one of the ways he stands apart from his opponent.

From his training as a civil engineer and his work on Newburyport’s water and sewer commission, Smith knows that killing projects as a knee-jerk reaction to spending money represents an overly simplistic view of the complexities of good governance. Other tactics such as second-guessing experts’ opinions, attaching excess conditions, or denying the city the workers and tools it needs to do their jobs are also often not fiscally responsible.

Consider the flooding in Market Square and the need for a new culvert. In an Oct. 24, 2022 memo to the City Council, the Reardon administration advised that the city could expect greater efficiency, cost savings, reduced construction time and fewer impacts on pedestrians and businesses if the new culvert is installed by the same construction team completing the Market Landing Park project. Meaning: do it now, not later. The funding passed, but five councilors, including Smith’s opponent, the current Ward 5 councilor, voted against the spending that evening.

The repurposing of the Brown School into much-needed affordable housing has been linked to restoring the gymnasium. Smith’s opponent supports the gym; Smith believes it is a distraction from the main goal of affordable housing. It is not fiscally responsible to spend $1.8 million on the Brown gym given that the city is already planning a new gym on Low Street for Newburyport Youth Services.

We can live within our means as a city while moving ahead. Please don’t delay in electing Owen Smith for the sake of Ward 5 and our entire city.”

BIFF AND MELISSA BOUSE

Newburyport

Editor’s Note: Biff Bouse is vice chair of the city’s historical commission.