Belmont’s Select Board is the town’s Executive Office. It is an elected three member body that is responsible for the oversight Belmont’s Town Government. Among other things, the Select Board appoints a Town Administrator to run day-to-day operations and assist with long-term projects. The Board works with the Town Administrator and other elected Boards to develop the Town Budget, prepare the Town Meeting Warrant, and perform the many other tasks that are necessary to keep the Town running smoothly. The Board wholly or partially appoints the members of many Town Committees, including the Planning Board. It also is responsible for decisions about whether and when to put Proposition 2 1/2 overrides and debt exclusions before voters – a critical power that impacts Belmont’s short- and long term financial health and planning. The three members of the Board are elected for overlapping, three-year terms and are (very) minimally compensated for their work.
This year there are two candidates for one open seat on the Select Board: Roy Epstein, the incumbent, and Jeff Lasseter, a challenger.
Read Roy’s answers to questions about:
Candidate’s statement & accomplishments
Read Jeffrey’s answers to questions about:
Candidate’s statement & accomplishments
Roy Epstein (candidate for re-election)
| Name: | Roy Epstein |
| Candidate For: | Select Board |
| Campaign Website: | http://www.royforbelmont.com |
| I am seeking my ___ term in office: | 2nd |
| Volunteer & community activities? (optional) | Capital Budget Committee Traffic Working Group–Middle and High School Long Term Capital Planning Committee DPW and Police Station Building Committee |
| Candidate’s Statement: | Every member of the Select Board needs to have deep relevant experience, know our town government, listen to everybody, ensure efficient use of funds, propose practical solutions, and work hard to implement them. I’ve served on the Select Board for three years, including a year as Chair. I understand the complexity of managing a town budget of nearly $150 million. Making good decisions takes a lot of work, and a solid grounding in our system of local government. Easy answers are rare. My record exemplifies how to find ways to do things better and at lower cost, and work with all community members to solve problems together. |
| Accomplishments: | • Doing the statistical analysis in spring 2020 that led the current McLean development to offer far more housing for seniors while preserving full credit for 118 affordable housing units. • Challenging the design of the 16-unit 40B project at 91 Beatrice Circle, leading the developers to scale back their proposal in August 2020. • Leading the effort to make the Municipal Light Board an independently-elected body, passed by Town Meeting in April 2021. • Initiating the feasibility study in 2021 for a new skating rink, reviving this vital project. • Finding no-cost solutions for student parking that eliminated crushing congestion on side streets when the new high school opened last fall. |
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Balancing Belmont Budget
| Question: | Belmont derives the vast majority of its operating revenue from residential property taxes, the growth of which is capped at 2.5% annually (not including new growth). Given that inflation for local government has average more than 2.5% for the last four decades, how can Belmont balance its budget without making drastic cuts to services such as education, recreation, roads and so on? |
| Candidate’s Answer: | The town side of the budget operated within Prop 2 1/2 limits up to through this year. The greatest budget pressure has come from school enrollment growth, health insurance, and the need to amortize the unfunded pension liability. The decline in enrollment that started during Covid is an opportunity to lower the trend in growth of the school budget. Redoing plan design has saved on health insurance costs and moving to the state GIC system may be even more advantageous. The recent spike in inflation makes the budget more difficult. Overrides will continue to be necessary to avoid cuts in services. The challenge is to make them as small and as infrequent as possible. |
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Building Belmont’s Businesses
| Question: | Vacant store fronts are a common sight in Belmont’s business districts. Business owners claim the Town government is difficult to work with and not responsive to the needs of small business owners. Do you agree that Belmont is unfriendly to business? If so, what are your plans for making the town more hospitable to current and would-be business owners? If you have any accomplishments to show in this area, feel free to note them. |
| Candidate’s Answer: | Turnover in store fronts is normal. I live steps from Cushing Square and many businesses that were in the Square 10 years ago are gone. But they have been replaced by new, and in my view, even better businesses. I understand that new leases are being negotiated as we speak for many of the storefronts in Belmont Center. The outdoor dining in Belmont Center the last two years was a great example of the Town and local businesses working together. We have greatly improved the cleanliness of the business districts by restructuring some of the work done by DPW. It would be appropriate to review some of the permitting requirements from the Planning Board for new businesses, especially restaurants, and I would like to amend our liquor regulations somewhat to allow serving a drink or two without requiring ordering a meal. |
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Supporting Belmont’s Public Schools
| Question: | Belmont’s public schools are in the bottom 6% of Massachusetts towns in spending per-pupil. We spend $3,200 less per student than the average Massachusetts town. The School Department indicates that the result of this is lower levels of staffing, larger class sizes, reduced course offerings, higher student activity fees and bare bones budgets for books, class supplies and other necessities. What is your message to parents of BPS students who feel like the Town and its government are walking away from their long commitment to top quality public education? If (re) elected, what would you do to expand funding for our public schools? |
| Candidate’s Answer: | I don’t agree with your premise. The Belmont schools are and will remain excellent. |
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Challenges Ahead
| Question: | What do you see as the unique challenges facing your office over the next 3 years? If elected, what will you propose as a strategy to meet those challenges? |
| Candidate’s Answer: | • Avoid devastating cuts in school and town services when millions of dollars in one-time federal Covid grants run out. • Find ways to finance a new library and a new skating rink. • Advance Belmont’s Climate Action Goals on all fronts, from leaf blowers to strategic electrification. • Accelerate the repaving of our streets and sidewalks. • Ensure completion of the Alexander Avenue tunnel under the tracks to increase pedestrian safety, connect Belmont, reduce traffic congestion, and get people out of cars. • Provide alternatives to town health insurance, town pension management, and outdated Civil Service, to reduce costs yet retain comparable benefits for town employees. |
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Community Path
| Question: | After more than a decade of study and discussion, the Belmont Community Path is moving forward. Do you support construction of the Community Path along the planned route, including the Phase 1 section currently under development? Why? Why Not? |
| Candidate’s Answer: | Yes, with the understanding that the planned route does not include hostile takings. |
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New Library
| Question: | The building housing the main branch of Belmont’s public library is nearing the end of its useful life. Estimates indicate that the cost of renovating the existing structure, including bringing it into compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act, would cost nearly as much as constructing a new facility and leave the Town with an inferior facility with less usable space. Do you support the Library Board of Trustees request for a debt exclusion to construct a new library? Why? Why not? |
| Candidate’s Answer | Yes. The town needs a new library. |
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Government Reform
| Question: | Various committees over the years have recommended reforms to Belmont’s government, from enlarging the Select Board to creating a Town Administrator with more authority to hire and fire and streamline decision making. Do you feel like such reforms are needed? If so, what reforms to Town Government do you feel would have the biggest impact? |
| Candidate’s Answer: | More residents volunteering to serve on committees would be desirable. After the current Town Treasurer finishes his term, I would look at whether keeping this position as an elected office is still the right decision. |
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Jeffrey Lasseter (candidate for Select Board)
| Name: | Jeffrey Lasseter |
| Candidate for: | Select Board |
| Campaign website: | http://jeffforbelmont.org |
| I am seeking my ___ term in office: | 1st |
| Volunteer & community activities? (optional) | Belmont resident, father of two sons in public school, coached Belmont youth soccer, opened a business (Jamaica Jeffs) as a community project to support hiring high school kids, raised money for Brigham and Womens Stepping Strong for breast cancer, Mission 22 project to raise awareness and support Veterans with PTSD and their families, sponsored town and school sports (football, soccer, hockey, field hockey, drama club, band, and others) through the restaurant. Member of the Belmont Business Center Assoc. Work to help CPCS in defending persons with court appointed attorneys, etc. Fostered and raised a rescue service dog for assisted living. |
| Candidate’s Statement: | I am Belmont father, coach, former owner of Jamaica Jeff’s restaurant and a passionate Belmont Citizen that wants to serve on the Select Board to represent EVERYONE in Belmont. In short, Belmont needs Fiscal Responsibility, and needs it immediately! Our current town leadership has Belmont headed into further financial distress, and this continual financial mismanagement cannot sustain itself. We all felt isolated during the pandemic, but a serious gap has developed between the people of Belmont and our local government. Town Leadership must work to better the relationships, and establish trust, with town workers, including all union members, the business community and town residents. During my 24 year career in the federal government, I developed operational, communication, and organizational plans and solution oriented skills that I will apply to positively impact Belmont and address our challenges and our goals. Belmont needs leadership with integrity that is results driven and !00% transparent. Results driven means for everyone; senior citizens, homeowners, renters, business owners and families. We need honest leadership that is fiscally responsible and accountable to the citizenry – I am running for Select Board to bring that mindset and success to town leadership for EVERYONE. |
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Balancing Belmont’s Budget
| Question: | Belmont derives the vast majority of its operating revenue from residential property taxes, the growth of which is capped at 2.5% annually (not including new growth). Given that inflation for local government has average more than 2.5% for the last four decades, how can Belmont balance its budget without making drastic cuts to services such as education, recreation, roads and so on? |
| Candidate’s Answer: | Balancing Belmont’s budget and being fiscally responsible it paramount for our town. Our current leadership has not proven to accomplish fiscal responsibility, as evident in cost overruns (in the Belmont High School is already 17 million and the town budget deficit was over 2.3 million in 2021, got example). I have created and run budgets over my 24 year federal career, and by law was 100% accountable for the distribution and usage of millions of dollars per month, creating infrastructure programs and solving complex issues under extraordinary circumstances. We need town leadership that will operate with accountability, transparency, and balance the budget of Belmont just like the people of Belmont know how to balance their own households. The Select Board cannot just continue to try and pass overrides to increase taxes on home owners and residents to make up for financial shortfalls that are results of mismanagement funds. I am results driven, and accountable. As a Select Board member, fiscal responsibility is a top tier priority. |
Building Belmont’s Businesses
| Question: | Vacant store fronts are a common sight in Belmont’s business districts. Business owners claim the Town government is difficult to work with and not responsive to the needs of small business owners. Do you agree that Belmont is unfriendly to business? If so, what are your plans for making the town more hospitable to current and would-be business owners? If you have any accomplishments to show in this area, feel free to note them. |
| Candidate’s Answer: | I know very well the challenges of building business in Belmont. As a member of the Belmont Center Business Association, I built a business from the ground up, and like many businesses experienced the pitfalls of the pandemic. As a Select Board member, I will be able to guide, advise, and actively recruit new businesses and, very importantly, support the existing businesses in Belmont that make our town so vibrant and special. |
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Supporting Belmont’s Public Schools
| Question: | Belmont’s public schools are in the bottom 6% of Massachusetts towns in spending per-pupil. We spend $3,200 less per student than the average Massachusetts town. The School Department indicates that the result of this is lower levels of staffing, larger class sizes, reduced course offerings, higher student activity fees and bare bones budgets for books, class supplies and other necessities. What is your message to parents of BPS students who feel like the Town and its government are walking away from their long commitment to top quality public education? If (re) elected, what would you do to expand funding for our public schools? |
| Candidate’s Answer: | Yes, supporting public schools is paramount. Both my sons have gone through the Belmont public school system and I understand the value of it. Belmont Public schools are the heartbeat of our town, and must be supported in a fiscally responsible way to continue their great successes. |
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Challenges Ahead
| Question: | What do you see as the unique challenges facing your office over the next 3 years? If elected, what will you propose as a strategy to meet those challenges? |
| Candidate’s Answer: | Every challenge can be met. Belmont needs to immediately become fiscally responsible in order to address current and future challenges. We need short term, medium term and long term plans that are clear, transparent and actionable to serve our community. All success hinges on becoming financially capable, which means being fiscally responsible. Our current leadership has not been able to achieve fiscal responsibility, and our town is suffering and being asked for more overrides to cover financial shortfalls due to mismanagement of funds. That has to change. To repeat, fiscal responsibility is the answer to addressing any/all challenges, current and future alike. |
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Community Path
| Question: | After more than a decade of study and discussion, the Belmont Community Path is moving forward. Do you support construction of the Community Path along the planned route, including the Phase 1 section currently under development? Why? Why Not? |
| Candidate’s Answer: | I support a community path, but not the current design and form. The idea needs much more consideration and input from affected residents, and must be fiscally incorporated into a reasonable, actionable budget plan. |
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New Library
| Question: | The building housing the main branch of Belmont’s public library is nearing the end of its useful life. Estimates indicate that the cost of renovating the existing structure, including bringing it into compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act, would cost nearly as much as constructing a new facility and leave the Town with an inferior facility with less usable space. Do you support the Library Board of Trustees request for a debt exclusion to construct a new library? Why? Why not? |
| Candidate’s Answer | Our library is a town treasure, and supporting it should be a priority. But again, fiscal responsibility dictates that actionable plans be considered and evaluated against available, realistic budgeting. New facilities vs refurbishing old structures, etc can be debated and the town residents should get to vote on what is best for our library. |
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Government Reform
| Question: | Various committees over the years have recommended reforms to Belmont’s government, from enlarging the Select Board to creating a Town Administrator with more authority to hire and fire and streamline decision making. Do you feel like such reforms are needed? If so, what reforms to Town Government do you feel would have the biggest impact? |
| Candidate’s Answer: | Government reform in Belmont is a must – it’s why I am running for Select Board. Fiscal Responsibility is a must. Restoring trust, faith and respect with the public and the unions in Belmont is a must. Leadership must be humble, accountable, responsive, listen, and respond to the needs of, and support, the public. Remember that past behavior is the best indicator of future behavior. I believe Belmont needs positive change in town government. If you want positive, tangible, real change in Belmont, you should vote for Jeff Lasseter for Select Board. |
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