Issues

Brookline benefits enormously from being a diverse community, but this benefit is not shared equally. Striking racial disparities continue to persist in our Town in terms of local representation, economic opportunity, health outcomes, and a sense of belonging. As a Select Board member, I will:

• Apply an equity lens to all policy issues that come before the Select Board and foster a culture of inclusion that celebrates diversity
• Act as the Select Board liaison to the Commission for Diversity, Inclusion, and Community Relations 
• Invest in our local safety net to make Brookline a community that lives our values and ensures that everyone can live and thrive here

The climate crisis is the defining challenge facing our society, and it demands a robust and urgent response at all levels of government. As a Select Board member, I will:

• Fund new programs to enable local property owners to electrify their properties to reduce emissions and the use of fossil fuels
• Adopt a holistic approach to reducing Brookline's climate impact, including expanding our urban forests, creating new biking infrastructure, and encouraging denser housing development near public transit 
• Create and fill a Select Board liaison position on the Zero Admissions Advisory Board to streamline the process of creating new emissions reduction programs 

With a growing structural deficit, cost-burdened residents, and strict rules about how municipalities can raise revenue, Brookline is in desperate need for innovative executive leadership to improve our financial position. As a Select Board member, I will:

• Reform and implement our Payment in Lieu of Taxes (PILOT) program to bring in up to $2 million in new annual revenue from tax-exempt entities without increasing costs for residents
• Take the pressure off of residents by focusing on expanding our commercial tax base by supporting local business development and growth
• Implement fiscal best practices including zero-based budgeting, financial improvement plans, and maximum debt policies

Our excellent public schools are the crown jewel of the Brookline community. Investing in our children represents an investment in the future, and providing a quality education to all students is among the greatest responsibilities of our local government. As a Select Board member, I will:

• Work collaboratively with the School Committee to ensure that our public schools are adequately equipped, funded, and staffed in order for all students to succeed
• Support efforts to eliminate existing racial disparities in educational outcomes
• Support a community-driven, responsible school-building program that is equitable to all Brookline neighborhoods

Brookline has a thriving senior community, but a recent study found that senior poverty has increased over the last decade. As a Select Board member, I will:

• Increase funding for the Council on Aging to support robust senior services
• Support the creation of senior-restricted housing, ADUs, and new units at all sizes and price levels to provide seniors with affordable housing options
• Explore new options for Brookline to provide tax relief to seniors

One of our local government's key responsibilities is to maintain the high-quality of our municipal services. However, strained municipal finances and a competitive labor market have threatened Brookline's ability to remain a first-class employer. As a Select Board member, I will:  

• Protect the quality and reliability of municipal services by prioritizing attracting quality staff
• Ensure compensation for Town employees is competitive and develop strong relationships with local employee unions
• Pilot innovative workplace policies, such as a four-day work week opt-in, to improve employee retention and satisfaction

As the pandemic revealed, glaring health disparities and significant public health challenges persist in Brookline and throughout the region. Unfortunately, local funding for public health has remained stagnant in Brookline for decades. As a Select Board member, I will:

• Increase local funding for the Brookline Health Department, including fully funding the 2024 Community Health Improvement Plan and targeting health disparities
• Protect reproductive rights and access to gender-affirming care for all residents and visitors to Brookline
• Create a medical debt repurchasing pilot program to provide financial relief to vulnerable residents after a health crisis 

Our democracy is facing serious challenges across the country. While Brookline cannot take on all these threats to democracy, we must do what we can to strengthen democracy locally and raise a new generation of informed and engaged citizens. As a Select Board member, I will:

• Petition the State Legislature to allow 16 & 17-year-olds and non-citizen residents to vote in local Brookline elections 
• Create a participatory budgeting pilot program to allow residents to set and fund local priorities based on a democratic, community-driven process 
• Improve the Town's website to improve transparency in local government and provide easier public access to Town documents