Municipal elections are often decided by one of several key issues: For example, the financial health of the town, the character or livability of the community and the quality of the roads and sidewalks.
This year, we asked Belmont voters the question, “What brought you out today?”
Karen Bauerle, who lives on Hurd Road in Precinct 6, is passionate about housing and diversity in the school system.
“I’m really looking forward to change in Belmont,” she said. “I want to see more than just white kids in our classrooms.”
Terri Goldberg of Alma Avenue in Precinct 5 agreed with Bauerle, adding “the schools are always important,” even though her children are already through the system.
But she also emphasized that Belmont is facing a number of significant challenges that will affect the town’s future, such as building more homes and maintaining the environment.
Sarah Ellison, a Precinct 6 resident who lives on Stults Road, always votes because she feels it’s her civic duty, even if it’s a relatively calm election cycle.
That’s not the case this year. She wants to support the town and people who want to make a change.
“Many of the issues facing the town often aren’t contested,” Ellison said. “But this election is.”
She wants to keep Belmont an accessible town on foot. Also of importance to Ellison are maintaining Belmont Center and building more housing.
For Lydia Carthy Cornell of Hillcrest Road in Precinct 6, the new Library building is a “big focus.”
“I loved going to the library as a kid,” Carthy Cornell said. “I have a one-year-old son who I want to have that same experience.”
She’s patiently waiting for the new construction on Concord Avenue to wrap up. The project is aiming to be completed in early October, with a grand opening teased for early 2026.
For Helen Bakeman of Lexington Street in Precinct 5, her trip to the ballot box is more out of worry for the future.
“What’s going to happen in the next 10 years, physically and fiscally?” she said.
Affordable housing is a major concern for Bakeman. Simply put, she just wants to see more of it.
Lisa Pargoli, a Precinct 5 resident who lives on White Street, aligns with Bakeman’s concerns. Physically, it’s mainly the roads and maintaining buildings. Fiscally, it’s transparency.
“Why is everything falling apart?” she said. “Where is the money going?”
This story is part of a partnership between the Belmont Voice and the Boston University Department of Journalism.
