About Me

My Newton roots run deep. My parents were immigrants from Europe - my father left Nazi Germany as a teenager. My mother came to the United States from Czechoslovakia after having survived the Terezin concentration camp. My family moved to Newton when I was a small child, and I attended Cabot, Bigelow, and Newton North, as did my younger brother and sister. Roberta and I returned to Newton to raise our three children - our sons are Newton public school graduates, and our daughter is a sophomore at Newton North.

I have been an elected member of Newton’s city government since 2002, first serving for eight years on the School Committee and then, after a two-year break, as a City Councilor-at-Large from Ward 7 since 2012. I have been honored to have been chosen by my colleagues to serve in leadership positions, including as president of the City Council and chair of the School Committee.

I also have a lengthy history of professional and civic involvement. A graduate of Cornell University and the University of Pennsylvania Law School, I am one of the founders of my Boston law firm, Laredo & Smith, LLP, where I concentrate my practice in the areas of business litigation and general business law. I serve on the editorial board of the Massachusetts Law Review (formerly as Editor-in-Chief) and was formerly a member of the Board of Directors of Middlesex  Partnerships for Youth, on the Board of Trustees of Temple Emanuel in Newton and co-chair of  the Temple’s Nominating and Governance Committee, chair of the Ward 7 Newton Democratic Committee, and a Newton youth soccer coach.

I am grateful for the opportunities that Newton has given to my family and me. It has been a privilege to serve my community on the City Council and School Committee. Please feel free to contact me with any thoughts or concerns, and I hope to hear from you!

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Priorities for Newton

 1 

​Promoting respectful discourse among residents of Newton. 
Newton is a wonderful place to live! We have smart, passionate residents who care deeply about our community. As we grapple with difficult issues, it is crucial that all of us – mainly our elected officials - carefully listen to and respect others' opinions, especially those with whom we may disagree. I will continue to work hard to lead by example - asking the tough questions, considering all points of view, and building consensus wherever possible.

2

Ensuring that out teachers and students have the proper facilities for teaching and learning. 
Throughout my tenure in public office, first on the School Committee and now  on the City Council, I have supported our schools and school building projects.  While great teaching is at the heart of our students’ educational experience, our teachers and students need and deserve up to date buildings so that the best teaching and learning can take place.  We have ongoing work for our early childhood program center and Horace Mann and needed work at other school buildings, including Lincoln-Eliot, Franklin, Countryside, and Ward, ahead of us.  I will be working hard to ensure that this work moves forward as expeditiously as possible and will support the funding to get this work done

3

Improving our streets and sidewalks. 
We are addressing many of our long-deferred infrastructure issues, but we have much more to do.  In particular, we must accelerate repairing our streets and sidewalks to make them safer  for all users, including pedestrians, bicyclists, and motorists.

4

Reviewing and, where needed, updating our zoning code.
We cannot stay stagnant – responsible and appropriate development is necessary and proper. Our zoning code plays a critical role in this process since it often dictates what can be developed and how it is built.  As we carefully review our code, we need to balance a variety of interests (some of which will compete with one another), including:

• increasing our commercial tax base; 
• providing for open space and recreational opportunities;
• addressing climate change and other environmental issues;
• maintaining and enhancing what makes Newton such a special place to live; 
• making our village centers vibrant and economically successful;
• mitigating traffic congestion;
• planning for appropriate parking while encouraging other modes of transportation; and
• increasing the array of housing alternatives for current residents and others who wish to live in Newton. ​

Our Zoning Code work must be done carefully and thoughtfully, with particular attention paid to  the language we use and consideration of all consequences, both intended and unintended.

5

Addressing transportation as a regional issue. 
We need to work in partnership with other communities throughout the commonwealth to think about our transportation needs.  There are likely to be multiple, interrelated solutions, including far more robust local public transit and expanded rail service to other cities throughout the state and the region. We need to think boldly about these opportunities and not immediately reject them because of the price tag. Our city needs to be a leader – working in partnership with other communities throughout the state – to make better transportation throughout the state (and the region) a reality. We need to be open and honest about the fact that people want convenience and comfort as they travel from one place to another and recognize that transit alternatives need to be speedy, reliable, safe, comfortable, and cost-effective to encourage our residents to use them.

6

Maintaining sound fiscal policies
I will continue my efforts to carefully scrutinize our spending to make sure that we are using our money wisely and efficiently to fund current needs, investing for our future by prioritizing capital expenditures, and meeting our long-term commitments to our former employees.