Jesse Floyd
The three men vying to fill the Select Board seat left vacant by the retirement of Mark Paolillo sat for a forum at Belmont Media Center Thursday.
Alex Howard is a former Marine Corps officer who is now a research scientist in the private sector. He is a newcomer to Belmont politics.
Geoff Lubien, an economist with iRobot, has served on the Warrant Committee for nine years and is a Town Meeting Member.
Matt Taylor also serves on the Warrant Committee and is a Town Meeting member. According to his website, he’s chief technology officer at Kensho.
Former Select Board member Anne Marie Mahoney posed questions.
What is your position on the Override?
All three candidates support the $8.4 million Proposition 2 ½ override.
“I am reluctantly in favor,” Howard said. “No one I know wants to pay more taxes, but the cost of not doing this will cost us more in the long run.”
Howard said he hopes that if the override passes and the finances managed well, it will put Belmont on a path to not needing future overrides.
Taylor started his comments on the override by acknowledging it might well be the final straw for some Belmont residents, possibly forcing them out of town. He used that comment to frame a focus on senior tax relief and creating a more equitable property tax balance between residential and commercial.
“This override is making important investments that will give us a bridge to make a more sustainable community,” Taylor said.
Lubien said he fully supports the override, saying the goal of the next Select Board should be to find ways to cut expenses in all town departments, such as bringing more special education students in-district. Long-term fixes, however, don’t ease the short-term pain.
“This is a hard ask; for many people, this [override] is a challenge,” he said. “But most of it is just to meet where we’ve been … but also some key investments for the future that will make Belmont a better place for all.”
Where and what specifically would you suggest for commercial development in Belmont?
Belmont residents provide roughly 95% of the town’s property tax revenue. All three candidates discussed ways to better balance the split between commercial and residential taxes.
Taylor, a self-proclaimed data nerd, said he staked his claim to this issue, posting a commercial development policy online in late2023. He said the town has to find ways to maximize space available. He pointed to The Bradford in Cushing Square. Its construction – parking, commercial and residential – makes it far more valuable than a large building lot, Taylor said.
“This is the type of place our new growth can come from. But, it took us 20 years to build that building, our process added years,” he said. “We have to get out of our own way.”
Howard called for improved zoning, to push the town to the 10% commercial threshold.
“I believe that higher density, mixed-use spaces alongside the completion of the community path would provide exactly that great opportunity,” he said.
Lubien agreed that zoning is key and said that careful management of rezoning efforts, such as the MBTA Communities Act, is important so that it does not infringe on commercially viable spaces.
“I agree that 10% is where we want to get to. It’s going to be a challenge; it’s going to take time,” he said.
According to Lubien, finding common ground among the different interest groups in town is also important. He cited the idea of building a boutique hotel on Pleasant Street near Route 2, which ran into stiff opposition and eventually died.
Aid for senior citizens:
All three men said they had heard from seniors who were concerned about their ability to stay in Belmont. Moderator Anne Marie Mahoney pointed out that the Council on Aging Budget is $400,000 and is among the line items targeted if the override fails to pass.
“We do need tax relief, and we need opportunities for seniors to remain where they’ve grown up and where they’ve lived and still have the same quality of life,” Howard said.
According to Howard, the budget needs to be preserved, and room needs to be made for intelligent growth as the population ages.
Lubien said he would start a working group to look at the myriad issues facing seniors.
“I would look to formulate a plan to increase the tax exemption,” he said.
Making changes would require time and effort – a home rule petition- but it needs to be a priority, he said.
“Affordability for seniors is a core value of mine,” Taylor said.
He also supports a home rule petition to build in tax relief for senior citizens. Knowing that the process can take several years, Taylor was adamant that Belmont should have started the effort years ago.
Election day is April 2.
