At the Dunkin’ Donuts in Newton’s Nonantum section, a boisterous group of retirees gathers each morning for coffee and conversation. This is where they catch up on their neighbors’ health and vent about politics.

Here, Mayor Setti Warren’s recent decision to ask voters for an $11.4 million tax increase to pay for three new schools, a fire station, roadwork, and more teachers and police officers is a tough sell.