10 Suggested New Year Resolutions for the Framingham Mayor

It’s 2025 and time to reflect on 3 years of governance by the Mayor.

If you were Mayor, what New Year resolutions would you make?

Here’s my attempt at a set of Mayoral resolutions which would have a big impact on Framingham, with links to articles providing background information:

1. I RESOLVE TO STOP PUNISHING TENANTS WITH HIGH WATER COSTS

Recognizing that a glass of water from a faucet in a rental apartment now costs typically twice as much as that from a faucet in a condo or single family home, I resolve to roll back the recent policy change which caused this huge inequity and apply the Multi-Unit Dwelling factor to all residential dwelling units. I also recognize that renters make up 45% of the Framingham population and resolve to do a much better job of treating them in a fair and equitable manner. Framingham Mayor Aims To Make Tenants Pay for the Water Billing Mess

2. I RESOLVE TO JUMP START STALLED SOLAR INSTALLATIONS

Recognizing that when the Inflation Reduction Act was passed by Congress in August 2022, I failed to appreciate the $3 million in annual savings this would bring to Framingham if we pushed ahead with solar roofs and canopies for our city schools and other buildings, I resolve to immediately fully fund the Farley solar roof and press ahead as fast as possible in planning and funding dozens of other solar installation projects at city schools and other buildings. I also resolve to do a much better job of responding in a timely fashion to new federal legislation which affects Framingham. Framingham Mayor Rejects Millions in Utility Savings in Fiscal Crisis; Framingham Mayor Puts the Brakes on School Roof and Solar Projects

3. I RESOLVE TO STOP FORCING HIGH DENSITY HOUSING ON NOBSCOT

Recognizing that the MBTA Communities Act was passed on January 2021 but I delayed initiation of planning for compliance till March 2024, at least one to two years late, and blind-sided the Nobscot community with a last minute super high density zoning proposal for the Edmands/Edgell parcel, I resolve to exclude that contentious parcel from the compliance package and seek to repair my relationship with the Nobscot community. I also resolve to do a much better job of responding in a timely fashion to new state legislation which affects Framingham. Framingham Mayor Aims to Wrap Up $20 Million Xmas Gift for Developers; Framingham Mayor Doubles Down On High Density Nobscot Development

4. I RESOLVE TO FINALLY SOLVE THE LATE SCHOOL BUS PROBLEM

Recognizing that the late bus problem continues to cause educational damage to our students, as it has for several years, I resolve to make sure that school bus transportation is successfully brought in house, fully funded, and in full operation for the start of school in the Fall of this year. This will finally bring an end to a series of poor decisions I have made over the last few years, which delayed a solution to this critical problem. Bad Advice From Framingham City Solicitor Torpedoes Late Bus Solution; Framingham Councilor King Tries to Upend Solution to Late Bus Problem; Framingham Mayor Explains 4 Ways to Not Solve the School Bus Problem

5. I RESOLVE TO EQUITABLY ADDRESS THE HUGE BACKLOG OF WATER & SEWER SYSTEM WORK

Recognizing that chronic neglect of the water & sewer system has created more than a $200 million backlog of deferred maintenance work, and that addressing this is the root cause of rapidly rising water & sewer bills, I resolve to fund much more of this work using the tax levy, which spreads the cost burden more fairly across the community, rather than relying totally on water & sewer fees which unduly punish lower income homeowners. Further, to fully address this problem, I also resolve to rapidly put together the charter-required FY25-29 Five Year Capital Plan which has been overdue for almost a year. Framingham's Sewer System Is a 'Ticking Time Bomb Underground'; Framingham Mayor Unexpectedly Slashes FY25 Capital Budget

6. I RESOLVE TO JUMP START STALLED SCHOOL ROOF REPLACEMENTS

Recognizing that most school roofs are well beyond their expected life, and that funded roof replacements have been deferred due to lack of project management staff to oversee those projects, I resolve to support a school district expansion of project management staff to ensure that school roof replacements get back on schedule. Framingham Mayor Puts the Brakes on School Roof and Solar Projects; Deferred School Roof Work Costs Framingham Taxpayers a Pretty Penny

7. I RESOLVE TO STOP THE ROADS DETERIORATING

Recognizing that road maintenance has been underfunded by at least $4-6 million in each year of my term so far, I resolve to address this bad practice, which greatly increases the downstream cost of road repair, by investing enough money in annual road maintenance to at least prevent their further deterioration. Underfunded Road Crews Losing Battle to Keep Framingham Roads Safe

8. I RESOLVE TO STOP WEAKENING THE CITY WORKFORCE AND OPERATIONS

Recognizing that the city has more than 80 staff vacancies in the Department of Public Works and other departments, due to compensation and funding problems, and recognizing that city staff compensation needs to keep pace with inflation as much as possible, and that the cost of materials and other purchases rises with inflation, in order to protect our workforce and maintain services, I resolve to properly include inflation as a key cost driver in all budget planning. I also recognize that in each of our first 4 years as a city, the property tax levy increase was artificially constrained to 0%, ignoring completely the fact that inflation was running then at an average of 2.4% annually, resulting in the loss of $30 million in annual revenue and eroding staff and services. I resolve to ensure that such a reckless fiscal practice never happens on my watch. Framingham Mayor Makes Big City Staff Cut But Buys Another Building; The Other Emerging Framingham Infrastructure Crisis: Staffing; Framingham Mayor Signals That City Workers Are Underpaid

9. I RESOLVE TO SUPPORT FREE PRE-K EXPANSION WITH SPACE AT FARLEY AND/OR THE COMMUNITY CENTER

Recognizing that pre-K education is vital for our city 4-year-olds, I resolve to accelerate our school district expansion of its pre-K program by providing space for multiple daytime classrooms at the Community Center or the Farley School, or both. The Solution to Framingham’s Childcare Problem is in Plain View; Juneteenth – Time for Framingham to Support its Immigrant Children

10. I RESOLVE TO STOP VIOLATING MAJOR PROVISIONS OF THE CITY CHARTER

Recognizing that I have violated the City Charter in each prior year of my term by omitting fiscal year end free cash projections from my annual budget submission to the City Council (Article VI 4(b)(iv)), and that I am currently in violation of the City Charter by failing to produce the FY25-29 Five Year Capital Plan (Article VI 8 (c)(d)) when it was due early in 2024, I resolve to comply with both charter provisions in the upcoming budget cycle. City Charter; Framingham Mayor Unexpectedly Slashes FY25 Capital Budget