Election Day in Brookline is May 2. Here's what to know about candidates, voting times and more.
Annie Jonas, Patch Staff
|Updated Sat, Apr 29, 2023 at 9:50 am ET
BROOKLINE, MA – Voters in Brookline will head to the polls Tuesday for the 2023 town election, which will feature three contested races for seats on the select board, school committee (1-year term) and housing authority.
The spring election will also feature four ballot questions covering the renovation of the Pierce School, a proposition 2 ½ override and debt exclusion, as well as marijuana retail licenses.
Here's everything you need to know about who's running in 2023, and how to vote.
Polls will be open in Brookline from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Tuesday. The town will offer several polling places, depending on your precinct. For information on your precinct, visit: wheredoivotema.com.
If you've opted to vote by mail this year, ballots must be received by the town clerk’s office by 8 p.m. on May 2. A postmark is not the standard, but rather the time stamp in the clerk’s office.
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Voters who are concerned about their ballot arriving in time can drop off their ballot in-person at the town clerk’s office, or they can deposit their ballot in the gray ballot drop box located in front of town hall.
If your ballot has not been received by the town clerk’s office, you can always vote in-person at your polling location on election day.
Voters can track their ballot at trackmyballotma.com to see if it has been received.
There will be seven races on your ballot, but only three are competitive: select board, school committee (1-year term) and housing authority.
Below is ballot information from Brookline’s ballot information mailing packet.
Question 1
Question 1 is a debt exclusion question. If passed, it would fund the renovation of the John Pierce School in the Brookline Village neighborhood.
The proposed renovation includes:
A “yes” vote on Question 1 would allow a temporary property tax increase to pay for the bonds necessary for the Pierce School Building capital project.
A “no” vote on Question 1 would make no changes to the amount of property taxes the Town may raise other than what is allowed by Proposition 2 ½, socalled.
Question 2A
Question 2A is an override question. If passed, it would increase property taxes by $11,983,367 gradually over the next three years. The override would fund municipal and school operations and close certain budget deficits facing Brookline. Current service levels would be maintained.
A “yes” vote on Question 2A allows a permanent $11,983,367 townwide property tax increase for the purposes of funding the costs of Brookline Public Schools ($6,988,367) and funding the costs of additional expenditures in municipal departments ($4,995,000).
A “no” vote on Question 2A would make no changes to the amount of property taxes the town may raise other than what is allowed by Proposition 2 ½.
Question 2A, and the following Question 2B, both request authorization to assess additional property taxes. Question 2A does not include all the requested increases in property taxes that Question 2B does.
Any question with a majority of votes passes. Questions 2A and 2B may also both fail to reach a majority of votes. But, if both questions pass, only the higher amount in question 2B will be the new higher levy limit.
Question 2B
Question 2B is an override question. If passed, Question 2B would increase property taxes by $13,833,367 gradually over the next three years. The override would fund municipal and school operations and close certain budget deficits facing Brookline. Current service levels would be maintained, and the $13,833,367 override would provide $1,850,000 in funding for a municipal composting collection service.
The municipal, or “Town,” portion of the override totals $4,995,000. This part will close the deficit and pay for additional streetscape and roadway maintenance, vehicle replacement, facilities maintenance, employee recruitment and retention, rodent control, Planning Department studies, forestry management, and other Town initiatives. The school portion of the override totals $6,988,367. This part will close that department’s deficit and achieve the staffing levels, class sizes, caseloads, and programming the Public Schools of Brookline has requested. Finally, this question also includes $1,850,000 in funding for a municipal composting collection service.
Question 2B, and the previous Question 2A, both request authorization to assess additional property taxes. Question 2B includes the increases in property taxes from Question 2A and more—funding for municipal composting.
A “yes” vote on Question 2B allows a permanent $13,833,367 townwide property tax increase for the purposes of funding the costs of Brookline Public Schools ($6,988,367), funding the costs of additional expenditures in municipal departments ($4,995,000), and funding the costs of a municipal composting collection service ($1,850,000).
A “no” vote on Question 2B would make no changes to the amount of property taxes the town may raise other than what is allowed by Proposition 2 ½.
Question 3
Question 3 is a marijuana retail licenses question. If passed, Question 3 would limit the number of storefront marijuana retailer licenses in the town to four or less.
The November 2022 Special Town Meeting passed this proposed bylaw as Warrant Article 15. State law requires that the town of Brookline voters decide whether to adopt this bylaw change.
The license cap will stay unchanged for all other license types. These other license types include marijuana delivery operators, social consumption retailers, and marijuana couriers. The present license cap for each license type equals 20% of the number of liquor licenses for off premises alcohol consumption that the Select Board has issued. Today, the cap is five.
A “yes” vote on Question 3 would limit the number of storefront marijuana retailer licenses in the town to four or less.
A “no” vote on Question 3 would make no changes to the number of storefront marijuana retailer licenses in the town.
Here's the list of candidates running in 2023. Click the links in the contested races to read candidate profiles.
Select Board- 3 year termJohn R. VanScoyocPaul J. WarrenArden Reamer
Trustees of the Public Library - 3 year termChris ChanyasulkitKaren LivingstonJonathan J. MargolisMarissa Farland VogtJudith Goleman
School Committee - 3 year termSuzanne FederspielAndy J. LiuMariah C. Nobrega
School Committee - 1 year termChristopher S. MuttyNatalia Linos
Housing Authority - 5 year term
Kimberley Richardson
Question 1:Shall the Town of Brookline be allowed to exempt from the provisions of proposition two and one-half, so-called, the amounts required to pay for the bonds issued in order to pay costs of constructing a new PreK-8 School which includes renovations/addition to the existing historicPierce School and other site improvements including reconstruction and repair of the Town Hall and Pierce School garages which are beneath the new school and the Town Park across School Street, including the payment of all costs related to designing the new school project, equipping and furnishing the school, site improvements, and all other costs incidental and related thereto?
Question 2A:Shall the Town of Brookline be allowed to assess an additional $11,983,367 in real estate and personal property taxes for the purposes of funding the costs of Brookline Public Schools ($6,988,367) and funding the costs of additional expenditures in municipal departments ($4,995,000) for the fiscal year beginning July 1, 2023?
Question 2B:Shall the Town of Brookline be allowed to assess an additional $13,833,367 in real estate and personal property for the purposes of funding the costs of Brookline Public Schools ($6,988,367), funding the costs of additional expenditures in municipal departments ($4,995,000), and funding the costs of a municipal composting collection service ($1,850,000) for the fiscal year beginning July 1, 2023?
Question 3:Shall the Town of Brookline adopt the following changes to the Town’s General Bylaws that would limit the number of Storefront Marijuana Retailer licenses to no more than four, consistent with Warrant Article 15 of the November 2022 Special Town Meeting?