Longtime public servant Brian Golden is seeking a seat on the Newton City Council.

Golden, 60, was born and raised in the Allston/Brighton area before settling in Newton with his wife and five children. He said his interest in serving in government was inspired by his father, a Newton police officer. 

He holds a bachelor’s degree from Harvard University and a law degree at William & Mary College. He earned a master’s degree in strategic studies from the U.S. Army War College and served in the military for 30 years. 

From 1999 to 2005, Golden served in the Massachusetts House of Representatives, and was on the Transportation, Housing, Education and Ways & Means Committees. He later served for eight and a half years as director of the Boston Planning & Development Agency.

Golden will almost certainly be elected Nov. 4, as he and Councilor Becky Grossman, who is seeking reelection, are the only two candidates for Ward 7’s two at-large seats. At-Large Councilor Marc Laredo is stepping down to run for mayor. 

Education

As a homeowner, taxpayer and father of five, Golden said he feels the need to engage in local policy-making.

“I have a large family living in Newton and am very dependent on the services that are provided, whether it’s public safety, or the schools, or the parks,” Golden said.

Golden said he is proud of the high quality of education in Newton, but the illegal teachers’ strike in 2024 shook his confidence.

“I’m concerned about that,” Golden said. “What is it about the political culture that allowed that to happen? I want to be really attentive and intentional about making decisions that ensure that doesn’t happen again.” 

Golden said a stable education system is important to him. The schools are the reason Golden and his family moved to Newton. 

If there’s uncertainty and instability in schools, Golden said, a family might consider investing elsewhere.

Fiscal health

Golden said Newton has a healthy budget and a high level of per capita municipal expenditure.

Newton ranks eighth in income per capita and seventh in total expenditures among all municipalities in the state, according to the Massachusetts Municipal Association. 

“But even in Newton, there are limits, and we have to be sensitive to how much we’re spending from year to year,” Golden said.

In the 2025 fiscal year, Newton ranked third—after Boston and Cambridge—in total tax levy, which is the total amount a city or town raises through property taxes.

Proposition 2½ prohibits municipalities from increasing property taxes by more than 2.5% each year, but voters can override that rule if they want to expand municipal expenditures.

There have been two overrides in Newton history, in 2002 and 2013. The most recent attempt to override, in March 2023, failed.

Golden said overriding Proposition 2½ should not be necessary.

“I’d have to be convinced that the things we really value that are essential to maintaining a high quality of living, that those things are jeopardized without a prop two and a half override,” Golden said.

He said elected officials should be more prudent with expenditures, ensuring that every expense is absolutely necessary.

“If (the budget) needs to be grown bigger than the two and a half percent increment, it is through new development, and that’s residential, and that’s business,” Golden said. 

New development

As the former director of Boston Planning & Development Agency, Golden has dealt with urban planning and real estate development for many years. He said more housing can be built to keep in line with population growth.

“If you care about the moral imperative of housing needs, people need a place to live,” Golden said. “We should all aspire to deliver housing in Metro Boston for people at all income levels.”

In recent years, Newton has approved multiple development projects designed to convert empty lots and vacant buildings into mixed use apartments, such as the Needham Street project, which calls for 10 new residential buildings with retail spaces, parking lots and parks.

The property taxes collected from these buildings will produce additional tax revenue that will inevitably be a part of the solution to Newton’s budget challenges.

However, he said, any demolition and redevelopment of property needs to incorporate the neighborhood’s voice. 

“We should, as a city council, as a mayor, a planning department, look at this and feel, from a planning and development standpoint, what makes the most sense, and then you also go to the neighborhood and have the same conversation,” Golden said. “It can’t be just City Hall driven.”

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This story is part of a partnership between the Newton Beacon and the Boston University Department of Journalism.