Burlington's May Town Meeting 2026: Conversations to Watch
Shawsheen's troubled budget, a wireless tower fight, no Fourth of July fireworks — here's what's on the table at Burlington's May 11 Town Meeting.
Shawsheen's troubled budget, a wireless tower fight, no Fourth of July fireworks — here's what's on the table at Burlington's May 11 Town Meeting.
The Annual Town Meeting for Burlington, MA, features major items such as capital and operational budgets for schools and town departments, changes to animal bylaws, and a crypto ATM ban.
Some open seats remain; others were filled by write-in candidates.
Burlington voters returned Katherine Bond and Jeremy Brooks to the School Committee; a number of new Town Meeting Members are seated.
Burlington's April 11 election has open Town Meeting seats in Precincts 2 and 7. Here's how to run as a write-in — or vote for one.
Your final list of candidates on the ballot for the Burlington, Massachusetts, 2026 local election
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Burlington's Real estate market appears to be moving closer to normalization. Home buyers and sellers should be prepared, realistic, and responsive to market conditions.
Welcome to our monthly Burlington, MA real estate market update! If you’ve ever wondered, “So… how’s the market?”...this series is for you. This month, we’re taking a look at Burlington real estate prices during the month of April.
Eleven homes sold in Burlington in April, just one more than the March number, bringing the YTD total number of single family homes sold to to 34. Here’s how this April compared to the same time last year:

The Burlington real estate market remains strong compared to last year, but things are moving towards a more balanced pace. Looking at all sales YTD (Jan-April 2026), home prices remain elevated, with the average sale price hovering just under $1,050,000. This reflects a modest increase (+2%) compared to the same period in 2025. At the same time, homes are taking a bit longer to sell (an average of 15 days to accept an offer versus 32 days in 2026), indicating that buyers are taking more time to make decisions. This shows that while demand is still there, buyers are being a little more cautious and selective than they have in the past.
For sellers, this means pricing your home correctly is more important than ever. Homes that are appropriately priced are still selling quickly, but overpricing can lead to longer market times. This shouldn’t be seen as a slowdown, but rather that the market is moving closer to normalization. Home buyers and sellers should be prepared, realistic, and responsive to ever changing market conditions.
Mortgage rates in April have remained somewhat volatile, hovering around the mid 6% range, up from early 2026 lows. Ongoing economic uncertainty, inflation concerns, and global instability have all contributed to the back and forth movement. These fluctuations have an impact on the real estate market because even small rate changes can significantly affect monthly payments. As a result, buyer behavior has become more cautious and timing-driven as some buyers try to act quickly when rates dip. This has made the market feel “hot and cold”, and less rushed than it has in previous years. Major housing forecasters don’t expect rates to fall below 6% for the rest of the year.

May's unseasonable hot days are enough to remind us that before the hot weather settles in for good, it’s a good time to start thinking about air conditioning. If you have central air or built-in wall units, swap out your air filters and consider scheduling your annual service. Also be sure to check your outside unit to make sure it’s clear of leaves or debris that settled there over the winter.
If you use window or floor units, now’s a great time to break them out, clean the filters, and test them to make sure they are running properly.
Did you know you can walk through a 16-bedroom piece of Chinese history right in Salem? Yin Yu Tang was home to the same family for over 200 years. It was brought to the US in the 1990’s as part of a cultural exchange and re-erected at the Peabody Essex Museum.
Committe Members and Superintendent hope this compromose increases learning time and support delivery while allowing a mid-June end date
The complex project can move forward, and "The final result should be beautiful," says Conservation Chair.
An article for January Town Meeting would ban cryptocurrency ATMs, which can be used by scammers to steal tens of thousands.
Hive members keep the Buzz thriving.
Girls' lacrosse won at Chelmsford, baseball dropped a close one at Stoneham, and the ML Championship track meet comes to Burlington Wednesday.
Burlington wrapped up its annual Town Meeting, approving a $5.5M capital budget, banning crypto ATMs, and rejecting a wireless tower proposal.
Baseball topped Wilmington, both tennis programs swept Stoneham, and the Red Devils weathered losses in lacrosse and softball over a busy weekend run.
An expedition takes us deep in the desert on the Sea of Cortez to study an ecosystem — just as a different version of the same story plays out in our own backyard.
Burlington's lacrosse teams fall to unbeaten Winchester Thursday, while baseball, softball, tennis, and volleyball gear up for Friday.
Burlington Town Meeting approved the rest of its $197M budget on night two, with debate centering on a $200K design study for a new Simonds Park.
Two local advocates argue that Massachusetts' proposed tech-based approach to school phone bans leaves students — and the research — behind.
Burlington's boys' track clinches the Middlesex League title, while baseball, softball, and lacrosse all pick up wins in a busy two-day stretch.
Burlington's Town Meeting approved a $197M budget on night one, but Shawsheen Tech's budget was effectively rejected and must be resubmitted.
Burlington baseball, softball, and boys' volleyball all won Monday while both tennis teams fell to Winchester. Boys' and girls' lacrosse face Woburn Tuesday.
Shawsheen's troubled budget, a wireless tower fight, no Fourth of July fireworks — here's what's on the table at Burlington's May 11 Town Meeting.
$89 million in school-related budgets and expenditures will now go before Town Meeting for approval, along with July 4th and historical shed funding.
Boys' track crushed previously undefeated Stoneham to go 4-0, while baseball, softball, and volleyball all won big.
A few opportunities for high schoolers to find that first job this summer
Orysia Hanushevsky assumes her new role with an eye towards bridging the municipal-biotech gap.