Following elections, Town Council and BOE members get to work

Fresh from her re-election Hilary Ormond, joined by new Town Council members Lina Lee, Mike Rodgers and Heather Russell took their seats the week following election day at an organizational meeting of the council Nov. 12.

Each of the officials had been previously sworn in by the town clerk and the council easily elected its leaders, a mix of Republican and Democrats, all by unanimous votes. Hilary was named council vice chair and vice chair of the Finance Committee and Janet Leung Fonss was elected council vice chair/secretary. Republican Michael Maura was named council chair.

Commenting on their first session, Lina Lee said she was impressed by the depth of proven public service among the council members. “My colleagues are deeply invested, caring members of the community who bring different perspectives and lenses, but share a strong respect for the responsibility of the role,” Lina said. “Drawing on my background in governance, I intend to focus on strengthening long-term fiscal decision-making, approaching land use with care, and ensuring our parks, recreation, and human services reflect the needs and values of the community.”

In his reaction to the first session, Mike Rodgers also commended the sense of collaboration among the members. “First impressions are centered on how very dedicated everyone, from the volunteers to the elected officials to the town employees, are on doing a really good job,” Rodgers said. “The work, thus far, has not been Democrat or Republican, but more aimed at the goal of delivering what’s best for the town.”

At the meeting, the council set a date to receive a draft report of the Charter Revision Commission by May 3, aiming for a final report to be voted on during the 2026 election.

After its organizational meeting November 17, the Board of Ed received a presentation from department professionals on Dec. 8 about the school system’s budget priorities, with new Democratic members Kate Brambilla and Josh Kaye, joined by incumbent Erica Schwedel in hearing a series of reports on various budget needs by departments and schools. 

During the presentation, Superintendent Dr. Bryan Luizzi noted there are short- and long-term projections for each of the elementary schools based on current enrollment projections.