Letter- Page 2

Given the Select Board’s response to the July 23 special Town Meeting, it is fair to ask about the state of democracy here in Belmont.  Is democracy dead here? Not yet, but I worry it’s been gravely wounded by a board that…

Highland Meadow Cemetery is a sacred space where my daughter Jessica McKeen Johnson has been buried for 10 years. I have always kept fresh flowers in pots on her grave to honor her memory and to remember the joy that she brought…

A few weeks ago, the Belmont LGBTQ+ Alliance put up a banner that read: “Belmont welcomes immigrants, embraces our LGBTQ+ community, and endorses diversity, equity, and inclusion.” The banner was endorsed by nine community organizations, whose logos are displayed. It was a…

We were so happy to see the fantastic new playground at Town Field open a couple years ago. However, the point of entrance on Beech St, and in particular the point where pedestrians naturally cross to access that entrance, is incredibly perilous.…

The Select Board’s failure to replace the hideous above-ground transformer at 109 Leonard St., 1.5 years after approving an underground solution on Oct. 23, 2023, is outrageous. This isn’t just incompetence—it’s a betrayal of Belmont Center businesses, who demand an underground transformer…

Now that the new hockey rink is in full construction mode, a most important finishing touch is the naming of the new ice surface (the name of the complex will hopefully remain the “VIG”, in honor of James P. Skip Viglirolo, I…

I’m an 18-year Belmont Town Meeting veteran and a member of Belmont’s IT Advisory Committee. On April 1, I’ll be voting for Michael Crowley as our next Town Moderator. I encourage you to do the same. Of the two candidates running for…

As a Town Meeting member, I want the moderator to be able to conduct fair, unbiased sessions consisting of thoughtful, balanced discussions. The moderator selects and appoints members of key committees. These appointments must be people with the expertise needed for the…

Many Belmont residents are unhappy about their latest property tax bill.  According to the Mass Department of Revenue, Belmont’s average single-family tax bill increased from $15,568 for FY2022 to $18,775 for FY2025, a total increase of 20.6%, or an average annual increase…

Appointing qualified volunteers to town committees was one of the most important things I did when I served on the Select Board. Belmont’s volunteer committees recommend and implement policies and are the pipeline for future leadership. Having brought great people into public…