Town Meeting is Brookline s Legislative arm of government. It consists of 255 elected Town Meeting Members plus the members of the Select Board, and any state representative or state senator who resides in Brookline. In addition, the Town Moderator, who presides over Town Meeting, and the elected Town Clerk, who acts as secretary, are voting members. The 255 membersare elected by precinct, with 15 members elected from each of the Town s seventeen precincts. The members are elected for staggered, 3-year terms so that 5 members are elected from each precinct each year in the May annual town election. Depending on vacancies some precincts will have more members to be elected.Town Meeting is responsible for passing a balanced annual town budget and enacts all town by-laws. An Annual Town Meeting is held in the spring to enact the following year s budget, plus whatever other matters are placed on the Town Meeting Warrant, either by the Select Board or by citizen petition. The Annual Town Meeting is usually held the last week in May or the first week in June. A Special Town Meeting is held each fall, usually in November, to deal with any budget changes, zoning by-law amendments or other matters placed on the warrant. (No salary; no health insurance.)‘*’ following a candidate name indicates an Incumbent.For Incumbent Town Meeting Candidates, Attendance Record for the last three years is shown.(NPE) is the party for all candidates. The Brookline Municipal Election is a Non-Partisan Election.
Hi! I'm Katherine. I'm a 44-year-old professor, public school parent, and Brookline Town Meeting Member representing the best place in town: Coolidge Corner! By day I am a professor of political communication at Northeastern University, where I research and teach about voting, social movements, and analytics (and yes, there *is* a lot going on these days!). By night I am a Mom of two great kids (ages 4 and 6). Prior to entering academia, I was a long-time community organizer working on electoral and issue campaigns in Austin, Texas. You can usually find me in our neighborhood shopping at Trader Joe's, exercising at HealthWorks, or waiting for the T.
My priorities are housing, economic development, affordability, and climate. Housing supply is too limited for families to grow and seniors to age in place. We need more homes of all sizes, configurations, and price points built near transit to meet the needs of our friends and neighbors who already live here! This will reduce our reliance on cars and help the planet. We need to bring down the crushing costs of daycare and after-school care that are hurting families and working parents. We can solve all of these problems together by proactively enabling commercial and housing development in our existing transit corridors. Brookline can be a community that helps families, working people, and retirees thrive, not just survive.
I moved to Brookline in 2008, and got involved in the Town in about 2018 when I was appointed to the Housing Advisory Board (HAB). Before retiring from law practice in 2020, I primarily represented nonprofit, mission-driven organizations that build, own, and operate affordable and mixed-income housing, including tenant-owned developments and limited-equity co-ops. I currently Chair the Castle Square Tenants Organization Charitable Trust, which makes grants for affordable housing and youth development through Greater Boston. In Brookline, I have been a member of the HAB, a TMM, and a proud and active Board Member of Brookline for Everyone. I have a bachelors and law degree from the University of Michigan.
Based my conversations with constituents and surveys, including for Comprehensive Plan, the most pressing issues for Brookline are the high price of housing, the fiscal challenges of our Town budget, and the larger issue of climate change. We can address all three by reforming our zoning to allow more multifamily housing and mixed-use/commercial development in and near our richly served transit corridors. Over time, more housing will lead to lower prices; more commercial development will enhance our Town revenues and allow us to retain our quality Town services; and building multifamily housing near transit is key climate strategy, since apartments near transit are so much more efficient than single family homes hear highways.
Candidate has not yet responded.
Candidate has not yet responded.
I moved to Brookline in 2024 when my partner and I were drawn to Greater Boston as an ideal place to begin our careers and wanted to experience life in an area of the country with history and urban quality of life. I work as a scientific researcher in the biotech industry helping to design vaccines. I previously obtained a PhD in computer science from Oregon State University.
I am running for Town Meeting because I believe that affordable housing is a prerequisite for economic stability and mobility. The region is facing strong challenges due to its high cost of living and many people around my age are forced to move out of the metro area or the state, especially to raise families. To combat these headwinds, I believe we must enact policies to increase the supply of housing. Within Brookline, I see Coolidge Corner as a model neighborhood and hope to support policies which improve environmental sustainability and improve access to our urban amenities.
Attendance
Not Incumbent Town Meeting Candidate
Out
22-Jan
My commitment to Brookline is rooted in years of active service. I have served as a Town Meeting Member, a member of the Advisory Committee, and as President of the Town Meeting Member Association. Through my work on the Capital and Administration & Finance subcommittees, I’ve gained a deep understanding of the fiscal challenges and opportunities facing our community. Professionally, I hold a Master’s degree from Boston University in Mathematics and Statistics and work as a data management consultant for the financial sector. In both my career and my public service, I pride myself on bringing people together to solve complex, data-driven problems. Those who have worked with me know I am analytical, results-driven, and tirelessly hardworking
My constituents care deeply about housing affordability, roadway safety, and protecting our immigrant community.
I will address housing and safety by executing our Housing Production Plan to grow the tax base and fund protected infrastructure. To protect our immigrant community from federal overreach, I will ensure Brookline fiercely defends all residents regardless of documentation status.
To keep the community informed, I will maintain constant outreach through accessible newsletters and regular, local office hours in our commercial districts. I have a strong track record of building bridges on the Advisory Committee, and I will continue to work directly with residents to find neighborhood consensus.
