OK – we’re a week out from our Town election, so I better get my thoughts down before too much time passes and life moves on. (OK…it already has. But still…) Let’s take the clearest message from this year’s Town…
Proposed amendments seek to gut a sought-after zoning update for Belmont Center for reasons that aren’t clear. That could complicate an already heated discussion at Belmont Town Meeting.
Melrose’s successful $13.5 million override vote in November holds valuable lessons for Belmont, which – commercial development or not – will need to keep passing overrides to fund our Town.
Belmont’s Moderator Mike Widmer declared emphatically in a debate Monday evening that, if he is re-elected, Town Meeting Members will not be permitted to speak critically of the Town’s appointed committees, calling criticism of committees “ad hominem attacks” worthy of censorship.
On April 2nd, residents will be asked to approve Question 1, which raises our property tax levy to fund critical Town- and school operations. Check out the top 3 reasons that I am going to vote YES.
Mike Widmer’s running for Moderator on the basis of being fair and balanced. His decision to declare criticism of Town Officials ‘out of order’ suggests otherwise.
Will your kids be able to buy a house in Belmont? 8 of 10 Belmontonians say it’s “very unlikely.” The MBTA Communities Act may change that- but not if NIMBY gets its way.
A meeting tonight (Dec 7) at 5:30 will hash out the plan for public participation as Belmont develops its proposal for multifamily districts in Town, ahead of the 2024 Town Meeting vote to approve the new zoning and comply with State law.
Abutters to Belmont’s Benton Branch are up in arms that the nearly century old library might again be used as a library. They’re pressuring the Select Board to cut the operating hours by more than half: from 50 hours a week to just 20. Sign a petition supporting more hours for our kids and turn up Monday night to the Select Board meeting to voice your support for more Children’s Room hours.
Belmont voters go to the polls April 4th to elect their town government. Here are my picks for Town Meeting and town-wide offices!