This profile is part of a “Meet the Candidate” series. All candidates were given the opportunity to answer the same questions. Their responses are published verbatim, without any editing.
Why did you decide to run for office?
Paying attention to city government for over 30 years allows me to be a good representative of Ward 2 residents. I want to contribute to a city council focused on its job to be fiscally responsible, legislate well, and fulfill its mandate to be the “checks and balances” on any administration.
If elected, what would be your top 3 priorities?
Affordability. The city council approves spending. As a result of spending, for ten years residential property taxes have been outpacing inflation, social security increases, and the wages of many. The city’s general fund spending in just the past four years, from 2022 to 2025 increased by 16%, more than $12 million. Based on the adopted 2026 budget, our spending this year will be 20% higher than in 2022.
The city is becoming unaffordable for residents who cannot earn their way out of tax increases and other inflation — whether seniors or workers unprotected by COLA adjustments and employer healthcare. The city council should stop unsustainable operational spending increases, and hunker down on controlling debt.
Basic Infrastructure. The city council approves the city’s capital spending priorities and allocations. We are now so far behind on water and sewer improvements that the current estimate to keep our water supply and waste management intact is $80 million. Only $26 million of this is accounted for in the city’s five-year capital improvement plan. While our basic infrastructure needs have been kicked down the road for years, we have recently rezoned to allow major new developments, and the availability of federal and state funds to help is completely unstable. The city council needs to hold the line on capital spending until we have a credible path forward on basic infrastructure.
Maintaining What We Have. Streets and sidewalks. The boardwalk. Schools and other public buildings. The current five-year estimate for “above ground” public asset maintenance is $14 million. Much of it is deferred maintenance. This does not include the estimated cost, $30 million, to bring our fire department headquarters up to building and safety codes, another can kicked down the road for at least five years.
We are a city of $105 million in revenue, including water and sewer fees, with known capital investment needs exceeding that amount. The city council needs to become better involved in the debt side of the city’s finances, and better at communicating with residents about it. I do not want Newburyport to become like Amesbury, which is currently debating a public vote to override the state’s “Proposition 2 ½” tax limit just to pay its operational expenses.
How has prior experience (either professional or personal) prepared you for this role?
I’m involved. Through grassroots and volunteer efforts I have been involved with residents and city government for years. I regularly attend city meetings. In early 2023 I began an email newsletter, “Ward 2 News,” to inform residents about what is happening in city government. Residents beyond Ward 2 subscribe to it.
I have a range of experience in Newburyport. I have lived here for 45 years. Arriving as a single, childless woman, my first involvement in local government was managing the campaign to elect the only school parent then on the School Committee, and serving on a committee to engage non-parents in the school system. After I married, my husband and I raised our two children here. They attended our schools and participated in sports. My husband helped to coach youth soccer.
I‘m analytical. I founded and managed with my husband a successful software company. Before that, I was a technology market analyst and consultant, ending this career (to focus on my children) as Chief Operating Officer of the Boston firm Yankee Group Research.
There has been recent debate about a Daily News assertion that only “8% of citizens” are involved in our community, too busy with work and children to pay any attention. That was and is not my experience with people in our community. But I understand. We are all busy people living in a busy, expensive, and often complicated city. I am dedicated to communicate with and represent everyone, whether or not they have time to be involved.
What can city government do to make local housing more affordable?
Newburyport, extremely affordable just 30 years ago, has been rapidly losing its existing affordable housing stock — smaller homes and apartments — to development, with little attempt to stop it. Smaller homes made bigger, or simply razed for larger homes. Apartments turned into condos. Homes and condos turned into short-term rentals.
City government cannot “make” local housing more affordable, but can better protect what we have and responsibly allow the creation of new housing. Allowing new housing is happening, but there can be more work to ensure some of it is truly affordable.
The city council can work with the administration and state representatives to get the state to change its definitions of “affordability” for our area, and improve the state’s “condo conversion” regulations, which are virtually useless in helping with rental displacement.
The city council can introduce and approve local zoning to protect the scale of established neighborhoods. The city council can act to get the administration to enforce our existing regulations to protect long-term housing, including newly allowed Accessory Dwelling Units, from short-term rental.
Do you think residents are getting their money’s worth in city services from taxes?
Everyone I talk to agrees we live in a beautiful city. And say taxes are too high. What is our “money’s worth?” elicits different responses in Ward 2, but streets and sidewalks, parking, and traffic safety come up. What’s missing in the “money’s worth” question is awareness about the coming cost of deferred maintenance on our basic infrastructure. For my money, I at least want a safe water and sewer system.
How would you balance historic preservation with more practical concerns like safety and accessibility?
Historic preservation, and safety and accessibility, are not at odds. I assume this question is related to recently proposed changes to eliminate and discourage brick sidewalks. There is plenty of testimony from residents who opposed these changes. What it comes down to is, broken sidewalks of any material – asphalt, concrete, brick – can be hazardous. Brick sidewalks in the downtown and surrounding neighborhoods are part of both Newburyport’s legacy and its economic bread and butter, attractive to visitors and residents. Brick pavers also have practical advantages over concrete and asphalt, including the ease of spot repairs and maintenance. The John Bromfield Fund, money available for brick sidewalk repairs, was not considered in the recent debates, but is available.
How do you think Newburyport schools stack up against others in Essex County?
To compare our schools with others, unless you have a child at each one, you have to look at state statistics and private rankings. While not considered the best, Newburyport schools do pretty well in these metrics.
What everyone has a right to be concerned about is the cost. We spend 59% of our budget on education, high compared to surrounding communities. For example, Amesbury spends 48%.
Our school spending is not well understood even by city council members. The school budget has lost transparency and clarity since I was a school parent. This needs to change.
What else should voters know about you?
I care about my neighbors and the city.
I care that people born and raised here, including my own children, cannot afford to live here.
I care that people who work here, cannot afford to live here.
I care that people who helped revive Newburyport, and continue to contribute to its well being, struggle to continue living here.
The Newburyport I moved to in 1980 was an economically diverse, multi-generational community.
Change is inevitable but doesn’t mean Newburyport can’t in essence still be Newburyport. That is what I am working for.
Stephanie Niketic is a candidate for Newburyport City Council, Ward 2. Election and early voting information can be found here.
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