Brookline Town Meeting - Pct 07 - One Year
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 members are 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.
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Rani D. Balakrishna
(NPE)
Which of these issues is/are important to your constituents, and how would you address their concerns and provide feedback to them? (Subjects such as housing, ICE in Brookline, senior services, or something else.)
Attendance
Not Incumbent Town Meeting Candidate
Out
13-Feb
My name is Rani Balakrishna, and I was born and raised in Brookline. I went to Pierce school until 5th grade, and then I went to the Winsor School. I graduated from Brandeis University in May 2025, where I served as President of the Student Union. I was also on the varsity softball team, and I was very active on campus. I am currently a Field Organizer for Seth Moulton’s Campaign for Senate. I worked at Abundant Housing Massachusetts, and I am a member of the Brookline Interactive Group (BIG)’s Board of Directors. I firmly believe that the experiences I listed would help me to bring a fresh perspective to Town Meeting. As a granddaughter of immigrants and a queer woman of color, I would be able to support diverse voices at Town Meeting.
Combating any unlawful, extrajudicial activity of ICE in Brookline, housing, connecting teens and seniors, and connecting more renters to the Brookline government are high priorities of mine. From my work at Abundant Housing Massachusetts, a pro-housing advocacy nonprofit, I have become passionate about housing policy and I believe that we should try to encourage many different types of housing in Brookline. Infrastructure, long term planning, transportation, and climate resilience are also top priorities of mine, and I hope to be available to everyone in Precinct 7 and throughout all of Brookline. I look forward to hearing any and all feedback via email or phone.
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