My Mission

One of my supporters suggested I look at the mission statement of the Burlington Board of Selectmen and articulate how I would follow it if I were elected. I promise to continue my public service to the voters just as I have done as a Town Meeting member for twelve years and Ways and Means member for two years.

I will:

• Support only controlled redevelopment of commercial property. I will support a policy to protect our wetlands and our water supply. Specifically, I will fight hard so Burlington can
  continue to be one of the few towns that does not have to buy water from the MWRA, which burdens taxpayers with excessive fees. I will continue to fight to protect open space from commercial development, whether it is our own land (landlocked parcel) or property in Burlington that we don’t own {Mary Cummings property). I will work to preserve that rural look that we’ve lost over the 50 years I have been a resident of Burlington.
• Continue to support the school and recreation programs. My three sons went through the Burlington school system and participated in many recreation programs. I understand the value that strong schools and recreation bring to the residents. Further, these programs attract young families to our town and are an investment in our community.
• Be approachable and available to all town employees, both union and non-union. I will treat them with the same dignity and respect as I have done with my own employees for the
  past 22 years.
• Support efforts to make life comfortable for our seniors. My mother participated in various activities offered by the Burlington Council on Aging. I support door-to-door transportation for our seniors in town. As a Ways and Means Committee Member, I supported the new COA bus that will be coming to town this summer.
• Be considerate in spending taxpayers’ money to balance life quality for our residents with keeping the tax burden in check. As a small business owner, I know how to balance expenses with services. We need to continue the vital services that this community has maintained for many years. I’ll also be cooperative with small business owners who provide jobs for many in our town, including Burlington students.

I will always keep an open mind and search for better ways to raise the bar. I promise to keep the quality of our town government as high and as transparent as possible.

Transparency

It's important to be transparent in an elected position. What does this mean? It means that elected officials should be an open book and willing to share their opinions and ideas. As residents, it's important to keep your elected officials focused on the issues that are in the best interests of the voters. Do you attend board meetings, watch them on BCAT or read about them in the paper? Do you know how your elected officials vote on important matters? As this Board of Selectman election is ramping up, it's great to hear from the residents who keep current on the issues in the town. For those who may not be as up to date, you don't even need a tv or a newspaper.

Board of Selectman meeting minutes are posted here: http://burlington.org/selectmen.htm

Town meeting information, including attendance records, are posted here: http://burlington.org/TMgov.htm#A

Kudos to the folks who keep the Burlington.org site current with this information.

Jan 26th Town Meeting

The Jan 26th Town Meeting only took one night. 20 articles appeared on the warrant. Article 3, which passed with a large majority, proposed spending $20k for a recreation planner to help with the layout of the former Wildwood school site in the event the Selectman feel this is the best use of the property. Three years ago when town meeting agreed it was time to raze that building, the members voted for the property to be of a municipal use. As you know, there was some talk of selling this pristine property by some members of the Board of Selectman. My kids were involved in Burlington sports programs in the 80s and 90s and there was always a shortage of playing fields. Also, when the Wildwood building and grounds were deemed unsafe, the neighborhood kids also lost a tot lot. If using the site for recreation purposes moves forward we will perhaps see a tot lot, small basketball court, little league fields and one or two small size soccer fields. A cemetery was also considered for the site. In talking to the DPW, we were told we have enough space for about 8 years .

Article 8 had to do with a new public safety building. Specifically, the article is for a home rule petition that would allow the town to seek out land and assistance in constructing the building from the
private sector. Not only would this article need to be passed by town meeting but the state legislator would need to approve as well. This would be a first for Burlington. A new building would eliminate the outdated fire station at the corner of Terrace Hall Ave and Middlesex Turnpike. The town would then enter into a long-term lease agreement with the private developer, which means the town would not have to bond money for the land or building. There is still a lot of work in this document, even if it passed by the legislator. I certainly agree a new building will be needed but would like this particular approach as a last resort. I have done some research and am finding commercial space that has been vacant for a while. I see some bargains on land in the West Burlington area. It's also important to factor in that the town of Burlington can bond money at a very low interest rate. Town meeting supported this article mainly because there is no financial exposure to the town right now. This building is a few years off, at best.

If you have any questions, email me or give me a call.