Sarah Cawley Select Board

This evening at Grandview Farm! Thanks to Kris Fabbri at Shift Studios for putting this together and for all her advocacy for mental health in our community.

A topic near and dear to my heart - local elections! I had a great time talking with Nicci about the importance of local elections and my experience running for Select Board.

On that topic, Burlington’s local election is happening NOW! Vote early at town hall during business hours through April 8th, or on Election Day, Saturday April 11th 8am-8pm in the BHS gym.

Burlington votes on April 11.

The new episode of Burlington at Work is live — and we went there.

Who runs for local office in Burlington? Who doesn't? And why does it matter that only 1 in 5 registered voters shows up?

We sat down with Select Board member Sarah Cawley, Town Meeting member Shayan Bhattacherya, and League of Women Voters representative Nancy Confrey for a real conversation about civic participation, barriers to running, and what Burlington could look like if more people got involved.

Then we went deeper in a fireside chat with Sarah on what it actually took for her to get involved — and what she'd say to anyone thinking "maybe someday."

Watch it tonight on BCAT or anytime on YouTube. https://youtu.be/HOwERbtlNQo?si=30xHkXZ3ES9ZkAe9

Tonight's the night! Join us from 5-7 PM at Grandview, there’s still time to register. A conversation on the current state and future of Burlington’s office market.

Did you know that 2/3 of Burlington’s property taxes are paid for by our commercial sector? A thriving local economy helps us keep residential taxes lower than neighboring communities while continuing to deliver the high-quality services our residents expect.

I hope to see some of you there!

The Town of Burlington will host the Burlington Economic Development Summit on Commercial Office on Wednesday, March 18, 2026.

Designed as a focused commercial real estate session for Burlington’s civic leadership, the summit will help participants better understand office market dynamics along Route 128, compare Burlington’s position to peer communities, and identify practical short- and long-term reinvestment strategies that support a resilient tax base. Melisa Tintocalis will moderate.

Panelists:
o Chris Steele, CEO and President, EBP US
o Rick Parker, Executive Director, Burlington Area Chamber of Commerce
o Sandi Silk, Executive Vice President of Real Estate, MassDevelopment
o Crosby Nordblom, Executive Vice President, Nordblom Company
o Michael O’Leary, Executive Managing Director, Cushman & Wakefield

***REGISTRATION REQUIRED**
https://www.eventbrite.com/e/1984317337573?aff=oddtdtcreator

Looking for something fun and informative to do this week??

Come to the 3rd Annual Burlington Civic Expo on Wednesday, January 14th, any time between 5-7pm! Hosted by the Burlington Buzz and the Town of Burlington, MA.

Meet and learn about local departments, boards, and community groups, enjoy entertainment and food, and learn more about what’s happening in Burlington and how we run as a town, all under one roof. A great event for all ages!

If you see me there, please feel free to say hi! I’ll be at our Select Board/Town Administration table, but I also tend to bop around to all the different tables chatting. Such a great time to connect with the community.

Curious about how your town works behind the scenes? 🕵️

Burlington Buzz and the Town of Burlington invite you to the 3rd Annual Civic Expo on January 14, 2026. This event is a great opportunity to connect with town departments, boards, and nonprofit organizations.

Stop by the Burlington High School Cafeteria anytime between 5:00–7:00 PM to attend this night of community connection. With interactive booths, entertainment, family-friendly activities, refreshments, and more, there will be something for everyone at the Civic Expo!

RSVP here: https://civic-expo-2026.eventbrite.com

If you haven't already voted (and a lot of people have, which is great!), I urge you to VOTE tomorrow in the special election on whether to approve a debt exclusion for a new high school - Saturday 11/15, 8am-8pm at Burlington High School.

I rarely feel comfortable telling people how to vote, everyone has their reasons for voting the way they do, and I respect that. So I'll simply share some of the reasons I voted YES to the new high school:

- The building committee made up of community members, educators, and financial professionals has spent 2+ years working with architects and building professionals, looking at every possible design option, listening to the community, and following the standard MSBA process in order to ensure we choose the best option for the students, staff, and for the community. I have personally watched or attended every meeting and outreach event, asking many questions along the way. Given the restrictions and challenges of the site, I feel confident that the plan we have is the best option for the town with the least amount of disruption.

- When the HVAC needs to be replaced (which could happen soon, as it is 50+ years old), the entire building will need to be brought up to today’s ADA and fire codes. The cost and disruption to do this would be considerable, and we’d still be left with the many windowless classrooms and dark, outdated, subpar conditions of the current school that are not optimal to a modern day learning environment.

- Costs will very likely increase if we wait longer. The state has not approved our requests for MSBA funding support for the last 13 years, and in my opinion it is unrealistic to assume that support would be provided any time soon. Even if we get state funding years down the line, at that point the town's share of the costs would likely be even higher than today's estimates for the full project.

While I completely understand the concerns about the high cost, the increase to all of our taxes, and the additional debt we would be taking on as a town, I believe we have waited long enough. Now is the time to invest in this project, to invest in our children and in future generations.

There’s been a great deal of discussion and debate about this issue, and at times it’s become more heated than many of us would like. Regardless of where each of us stands, and whatever the outcome of the vote, I truly hope we can move forward with civility and a sense of unity as a community.

Burlington folks, we finally have an official town page! Give it a follow for updates, events, and info on what’s going on around town.

Town of Burlington, MA Official page for the Town of Burlington, Massachusetts.

Early voting in the Special Election to decide whether to fund a new Burlington high school begins today at Town Hall. Early voting runs through November 13th (except on Veterans Day), during regular business hours. Election Day is Saturday November 15th at BHS.

Your voice matters! Make a plan to VOTE. I can’t stress enough how important it is to participate in every election, especially at the local level where the decisions directly impact our community’s future.

Please help spread the word!

Our Select Board Chair put it better than I could.

Dealing with the ICE facility in Burlington, and all the various stakeholders involved at the local, state, and national levels, has been an incredibly frustrating process. At times it has felt like we've been stonewalled, misled, and/or deliberately delayed. Every small step forward feels painfully slow and unnecessarily complicated. But please know that we are taking steps. This issue is heavy on my mind and a daily topic of discussion.

At the end of the day, we are simply trying to ensure that bylaws are followed, promises are kept, and that EVERYONE in our town is treated with dignity, compassion, and humanity.

I appreciate all those who have reached out, spoken at meetings, organized, witnessed, and tried to bring focus and help in any way.

Early voting for the April town election starts TODAY at Town Hall during business hours. Swing by and get it done, it’s super quick and easy!

If you need help figuring out who/what is on the ballot, visit the Buzz’s “Election Corner” for all the info you need:
https://www.burlington.buzz/tag/election-2025/

Last night, after a lot of discussion, the BHS Building Committee voted to eliminate all but TWO options for a new high school (AR8 and NC5 remain - see comments for design info). They also voted to dismiss the possibility of relocating varsity field to the current high school location, which would have had profound and permanent negative impacts on the surrounding neighborhoods. I truly appreciate the building committee's diligent work and responsiveness to community feedback.

There's still time to have your voice heard! Community Forum on Thursday March 27th at 6:30pm in the BHS auditorium.

https://www.burlington.buzz/schools/high-school-building-committee-narrows-options/