I’m running for Town Meeting to represent Precinct 3
About me
I’ve lived in Belmont for two years with my wife and now with our young daughter. I’m COO at MaxMind, a tech company headquartered in Waltham. My family and I very much enjoy the town, its parks, stores, the library, access to public transit, and the people we’ve met.
Why I’m seeking nomination
I want to hold the town accountable for how it spends our tax money, and I want to ensure the services we receive in return run well and make sense. I believe I’ll better be able to do this as a town meeting representative than as an engaged member of the public.
The Town Meeting approves the budget, certain expenses, and by-law changes, and it’s important to have town meeting members who dig into details, voice concerns, and share what they’re learning.
My thinking
- I want all of us to keep enjoying our thriving and safe community with strong schools, safe and accessible roads and transit options, and a clean and enjoyable environment.
- I believe the town has opportunities to both raise money and better spend its budget to achieve the above, so that we can keep property tax increases reasonable in the future. The Structural Change Impact Group is currently reviewing suggestions, and I want to make sure those changes that make sense get implemented.
- I believe the most important job of the schools is to ensure that students of all levels are appropriately educated and challenged in core competencies, such as reading, writing, and math. For example, I want math coaches for students who could use help and advanced math tracks for those who need extra challenges.
Specific issues
- Proposition 2 ½ Override. I believe the proposed override has been sufficiently justified as our least bad option and that what it would fund is reasonable. I know it’s also a horrible time to raise taxes. Yet, my understanding is that if this override doesn’t pass, a much larger one will be required next year. The currently proposed override will strain some in our town, but a larger one next year would strain them even more. I don’t believe the town has a reasonable alternative option to the structural deficit it faces that would significantly reduce taxes without cutting important services. I believe we should pursue opportunities to raise revenue and reduce expenses in earnest, even if it somewhat affects the character of the town, to make the taxes more affordable.
- DPW Yard / Highway Division / Safety. I’m very interested in the yard’s safe use and that the traffic into and out of the yard is reasonable and safe.
- Zoning changes. I favor zoning changes that increase the town’s tax base if such changes improve our community as well. I believe any such zoning changes ought to be gradual and incremental so that they do not introduce new problems.
Future plans
- Whether I’m elected or not, I plan to release on this site an application that makes it easier to compare the voting records of our town meeting members.
- I also plan to share write-ups of information I’ve collected and my associated thoughts on issues related to the town (e.g., items related to the DPW yard, financial calculations).
Please contact me to talk about Precinct 3 and town issues! My email address is jason@belmont-ma.info.