Daily Buzz | Don’t Vote Without Being Informed
Election resources unlocked for all
Election resources unlocked for all
Good Morning, Burlington!
Mail-in voting has begun for the April 6, 2024, town election, and many ballots have already been delivered to homes across town. Before you vote, though, be sure you’ve got all the information on your candidates!
The Buzz has been working to be sure all Burlington voters have the what they need to make an informed decision, whether they’re voting by mail, taking advantage of early in-person voting, or headed to the polls on April 6.
That’s why we’ve unlocked all our election resources, including podcast interviews, for everyone.
Don’t Vote Without Being Informed
Burlington Buzz and BCAT have been hard at work talking with candidates to help our readers, viewers, and listeners learn more about our candidates for contested elections this April. What do they stand for? What do they see as the priorities for this town? Why are they the best person to lead the town this term? Learn all about your candidates for contested elections at the BNEWS Election Center and the Burlington Buzz Election Module.
For today, our focus is on contested races, but you can see the full list of candidates here and there’s more to come later this week.
Town Moderator
Adam Senesi challenges seven-year incumbent, Bill Beyer, to this one-year role, which Senesi calls the “host” of Town Meeting. The person in this role is responsible for making sure Town Meeting runs in a fair and efficient way, and to appoint a number of committees that advise Town Meeting; Beyer says around half of the 126 Town Meeting members serve on a committee at any one time.
BCAT Candidate Profiles
Burlington Buzz Podcast Interviews
Debate
Select Board
Incumbent Joe Morandi faces two challengers, making three candidates for two three-year seats on the Select Board. Some primary responses of this Board are to set the tax levy in conjunction with the town’s assessor, to respond to the town’s needs by proactively requesting funding from Town Meeting for necessary projects, and executing on the budget set by Town meeting.
BCAT Candidate Profiles
Joe Morandi (not posted) | Sarah Cawley | Brad Bond
Burlington Buzz Podcast Interviews
Joe Morandi | Sarah Cawley | Brad Bond
Debate
School Committee
Ways and Means member and Special Education Parent Advisory Council President, Meghan Nawoichik, challenges three-term incumbent, Martha Simon for a three-year seat on the School Committee. This Committee is responsible for hiring and supervising the superintendent, setting the budget for the School Department, and setting policy for the district.
BCAT Candidate Profiles
Martha Simon | Meghan Nawoichik
Burlington Buzz Podcast Interviews
Martha Simon | Meghan Nawoichik
Debate
Housing Authority
Eileen Sickler is running against Walter DeCost for one of two three-year seats on Burlington’s Housing Authority. The Housing Authority is responsible for administering public housing in Burlington, both the Tower Hill and Birchcrest Arms developments for seniors and people with disabilities, and the Section 8 program for residents with low income.
BCAT Candidate Profiles
Eileen Sickler | Walter DeCost
Burlington Buzz Podcast Interviews
Eileen Sickler | Walter DeCost (We weren’t able to get in touch with Walter for this interview)
Forum
Walter declined to participate in a debate, and so BCAT News Producer, Sydney Boles, hosted Eileen for a forum where they discussed the responsibilities and priorities for the Housing Authority in Burlington.
Town Meeting
More than fifty candidates are running for Town Meeting; learn about yours in the Town Meeting Candidate Profiles.
Thanks to all the readers who reached out to suggest debate questions; I hope we covered the spirit of what you were hoping to learn from our candidates this year! We will be sharing more from non-contested elections later this week, but this should be a good start to get you learning about your candidates. Enjoy!
Today in Burlington
Municipal Meetings and Community Events
- 9:00 AM - Ways & Means Town Clerk Subcommittee will review the FY25 Budget for the Town Clerk and the Board of Registrars. (Town Clerk’s Office)
- 9:30 AM - Ways & Means Burlington Youth and Family Services Subcommittee will discuss and vote on the FY25 budget for BYFS. (BYFS Office)
- 4:30 PM - Shawsheen Union Contract Negotiation Subcommittee will hold an executive Session regarding non-union contracts, including the superintendent-director. (Shawsheen Valley Technical High School)
- 6:00 PM – Elementary School Building Committee will talk about building design, the project schedule, and when/how to request zoning changes and financial considerations. (BHS and Virtual)
- 6:00 PM - Shawsheen Organizational Development Subcommittee will review the administrative pay from the sending communities, as well as review the organizational structure and salary information from other MAVA schools. An executive session will involve a discussion on non-union salaries. (Shawsheen Valley Technical High School)
- 6:30 PM - General Bylaw Review Committee - The recall process will be addressed, as well as remote access and electronic voting system. Boards and Committee chairs attendance for all town meetings is on the agenda tonight, along with the rules committee responsibilities and more. (Virtual)
- 7:00 PM – BHS Festival Concert
- 7:00 PM – Board of Appeals will discuss the application to install signage for Bob’s Discount Furniture and Nth Cycle. (Town Hall and Virtual, beginning at 7:30 after administrative meeting)
That’s all for us for today. Have a great one, and we’ll see you tomorrow!
Nicci
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