Tag: Brookline

  • A decades-old state law is squeezing budgets in Brookline and beyond. Local legislators aren’t eager to change it.

    The Massachusetts State House. Photo via Wikimedia Commons

    Nathan Metcalf

    As Brookline voters go to the polls next month for the second time in three years to vote on a property tax override – this time for roughly $23 million, the largest in state history if approved — local legislators don’t appear keen on amending a decades-old state law that a town study committee points to as major factor in creating a “structural deficit.”

    The override proposal includes about $18.5 million for the Public Schools of Brookline over the next three years and $5.3 million for other services, as officials warn that failure could lead to layoffs affecting more than 200 school employees and the elimination of programs such as middle school world language instruction and K–8 conservatory music.

    A town study committee report  published last month attributes Brookline’s repeated need for overrides not to one-time mismanagement, but to a structural mismatch between rising costs and limits on how quickly the town can raise revenue.

    “Brookline has a ‘structural deficit’ because its revenues, an overwhelming majority of which are statutorily limited, grow at a slower rate than its expenses, none of which have legal limits,” the report said.

    Because property taxes account for nearly 80% of Brookline’s revenue, the report identifies one statute above all others as driving that imbalance: Proposition 2½, the decades-old state law that caps annual property tax increases at 2.5%, unless voters approve an override.

    “The existence of the structural deficit is why Brookline keeps coming back to voters to approve revenue increases above and beyond Proposition 2½ limits,” the report adds.

    That finding is now fueling a broader questions on Beacon Hill: just how much is Proposition 2½  contributing to the strain facing communities like Brookline, and are lawmakers willing to revisit reform or repeal? 

    Brookline is not alone. Communities across Massachusetts have turned to Proposition 2½ overrides to close similar budget gaps, including in Arlington, where just days ago voters approved a $14.8 million override, currently the largest in state history. Other towns, such as Milton, Franklin, Natick and Duxbury, have also advanced override proposals in the past year.

    A December report from the Massachusetts Municipal Association, a statewide advocacy group representing all 351 cities and towns and a key municipal policy voice, outlined possible reforms to Proposition 2½ as municipalities face growing fiscal pressure.

    Adam Chapdelaine, the organization’s executive director, said the group is not calling for a full repeal of Proposition 2½, but instead supports changes that would give municipalities more breathing room.

    Among the proposals is allowing communities, through a ballot vote, to raise their levy limit above 2.5% or tie it to an economic indicator.

    “Allowing a community, by ballot vote, to decide they want to be, let’s say, a ‘Prop 3.5’ community, or vote to tie their number to some type of economic index, maybe the CPI,” he said.

    Chapdelaine said such changes would preserve the spirit underpinning the law while giving municipalities more flexibility.

    “Despite the challenges that Proposition 2½ presents to local budget makers, it also helps build community trust by ensuring there is a system in place to keep local property taxation in check,” he said.

    Still, Chapdelaine said no changes are expected during the brief remainder of the current legislative session, though he said lawmakers are beginning to engage more seriously with the issue.

    “I feel like, generally speaking, legislators understand that we’re reaching something that feels like a breaking point,” he added, “and some types of changes … need to be on the table.”

    Rep. Tommy Vitolo, D-Brookline, expressed his support for the town’s override but did not address whether he believes Proposition 2½ is contributing to the underlying budget pressures.

    “Brookline voters love our four publics: public schools, public parks, public services and public transportation,” Vitolo said in a statement. “Because exceptional public amenities require commensurate public investment, I will vote in favor of Brookline’s Proposition 2½ override on Election Day.”

    When pressed on whether the law itself should be revisited or reformed, Vitolo declined to comment.

    Sen. Cindy Creem, D-Newton, whose district includes Brookline, said she had read the MMA report and was aware of it circulating among lawmakers on Beacon Hill, but stopped short of embracing its central premise that Proposition 2½ is a primary driver of the state’s municipal budget strain.

    “I do know that communities feel stymied by Proposition 2½ in regard to how much money they can raise,” Creem said. “But I wouldn’t want to say it was the main contributor for any community.”

    Instead, Creem listed other factors exacerbating mounting budgetary pressures.

    “It’s not getting back money from the federal government … or the cost of everything going up so much … fuel costs … snow removal costs,” she said. “So, when you talk about contributing, they all contributed.”

    Creem agreed there is little immediate momentum for major Proposition 2½ reform on Beacon Hill, though she said “I do” when asked if she expects the issue to draw renewed attention in the next legislative session.

    “The Massachusetts Municipal Association is really good at getting people together. I’m assuming that they’re working with legislators to see if they can come up with some solution here,” she said.

    She pointed to uncertainty around federal funding and one of this year’s ballot questions, which could slash Massachusetts income tax revenue by 20%, as factors shaping the debate. However, Creem said those same pressures could cut both ways politically.

    “One would say yes because what it would reflect on is less money to cities and towns,” she said. “Another person could look at it and say the voters spoke — they don’t want to raise any more money.”

    Creem declined to take a position on whether she would support Proposition 2½ reform or repeal.

    “I don’t know at this point, I have to listen to my communities,” she said.

  • Debbie Hatzieleftheriadis made history in Brookline, and hasn’t stopped giving back

    Debbie Hatzieleftheriadis made history in Brookline, and hasn’t stopped giving back

    Debbie Hatzieleftheriadis holds her Black Excellence on the Hill award. Photo by Eli Pekelny

    Everything fell into place after Debbie Hatzieleftheriadis saw an ad in the paper.

    The ad was recruiting people for the Brookline Police Department. At the time, the mother of five was coaching her kids’ sports teams and serving as the president of Brookline High School’s Parent Teacher Organization. 

    “I thought, ‘Maybe I could do it,’” Hatzieleftheriadis said. “I didn’t take it seriously.”

    After passing the police entrance exam and becoming an officer in 1998, Hatzieleftheriadis participated in a leadership initiative for high schoolers, led the anti-drug DARE program and ran a youth basketball camp. 

    “I loved my job,” Hatzieleftheriadis said. “I absolutely loved it.”

    Hatzieleftheriadis, who retired in 2014 following a back injury, made town history as Brookline’s first Black female police officer, an accolade that would pave the road to her receiving the 2026 Black Excellence on the Hill award.

    The award honored over 100 Black trailblazers in February, all nominated by representatives and senators from across Massachusetts. Hatzieleftheriadis was nominated by State Rep. Tommy Vitolo, whose district includes part of Brookline.

    “Debbie has paved the way for a new set of police officers who represent a far broader spectrum of people in our community,” Vitolo said. “She’s since retired from the police force, but she hasn’t retired from contributing to our town.”

    The 64-year-old currently serves as a town Constable, a Town Meeting member, and a Parks and Recreation Commissioner. At one point, Hatzieleftheriadis drove buses for the Senior Center. 

    Moreover, she is the former president of Friends of Larz Anderson Park, a local group that defends and highlights Hatzieleftheriadis’s favorite park.

    “Anything that I do, I don’t do it for the praise,” Hatzieleftheriadis said. “I do it because I care.”

    How she came to be

    As a young girl, Hatzieleftheriadis lived in Boston before moving to Brookline. The daughter of a Black father and a white mother, Hatzieleftheriadis described Boston as having “a lot of racial tension.” 

    When Hatzieleftheriadis’ single mother heard about the quality of the schools in Brookline, the family moved into a rent-controlled apartment in Brookline Village. 

    In kindergarten, Hatzieleftheriadis met Tracey Barney. To this day, Barney considers themselves to be “besties.” 

    “Everybody knows Debbie, and everybody loves her,” Barney said. “They think she’s a wonderful person. You never hear anybody say anything about her ever.”

    In high school, Hatzieleftheriadis played basketball, softball and, above all else, soccer. She called herself an “all-scholastic, all-American soccer player.” 

    She graduated in 1980 and was inducted to the Brookline High School Athletic Hall of Fame in 2024 for her achievements in sports. Now she’s on the board that selects the inductees for the BHS Athletic Hall of Fame.

    These days, Hatzieleftheriadis’ sports of choice are yoga and weightlifting.

    “It took me a little while to embrace the slower, meditative stuff, because I’ve always been really busy,” Hatzieleftheriadis said. “It gives me that opportunity to slow down and really rest and really cherish my body. I’m used to beating it up.”

    Hatzieleftheriadis isn’t the only athlete — or public servant — in her family. Two of her five children are firefighters. One of her eight grandchildren plays hockey at BHS. 

    “I go to all his games,” Hatzieleftheriadis said with pride.

    Hatzieleftheriadis’ second eldest son, Harry Hatzieleftheriadis, is one of the firefighters in the family. He also owns a pizza shop called Ziggy’s in Brighton. Harry said he and his family members have always known about Hatzieleftheriadis’ selflessness.

    “She can’t sit still,” Harry said. “Whether it’s the Town Meeting, whether it’s PTO stuff, whether it’s working at the Senior Center, she’s always doing stuff that is not self-serving… That’s really what makes her so special.”

    Family is important to Hatzieleftheriadis. That’s why, she said, it hurts when she sees them targeted because of their ethnicity.

    Diversity in the police force

    Like other members of her family, Hatzieleftheriadis has experienced racial profiling. When she was a kid, people would clutch their bags as she walked by. Sometimes people would even follow her around stores.

    “When you’re a person of color, you have to work harder, and that’s just a fact,” Hatzieleftheriadis said. “We face things that white people don’t face.”

    When George Floyd was killed by a police officer in Minneapolis in 2020, Hatzieleftheriadis had already retired. She said that she wished she could have been able to help address the distrust between civilians and police that continues to this day.

    “There are no good police officers that agree with what happened with George Floyd or with police brutality,” Hatzieleftheriadis said.

    Diversity of all kinds at the police station is one of the ways that tension can be lessened, Hatzieleftheriadis said.

    “Because of the world, Black people traditionally can be afraid of police officers,” Hatzieleftheriadis said. “To see a brown face come to your door and to understand the camaraderie there and to be able to be empathetic there — I think it’s really important to have that.”

    To Hatzieleftheriadis, we’re all really alike. 

    “When you strive to be the best that you can be and you achieve things, other people see that,” Hatzieleftheriadis said.

    This story is part of a partnership between Brookline.News and the Boston University Department of Journalism.

  • The man behind the clipboard: How one Brookline resident quietly shapes which questions appear on ballots across Massachusetts

    The man behind the clipboard: How one Brookline resident quietly shapes which questions appear on ballots across Massachusetts

    Harold Hubschman’s humble attire – sneakers, blue jeans, and a red McGill hoodie projects an air of understatement as he strides into the Caffe Nero minutes away from his Brookline Village condo. 

    Few would guess that the 69-year-old with a crop of unkempt white hair is a highly skilled political operator, let alone the linchpin behind the vast majority of paid signature drives that have put ballot questions before Massachusetts voters over the past two decades.

    Harold Hubschman, partial owner of SignatureDrive.com, Massachusetts leading signature collection firm, sitting down at the Caffe Nero in Brookline Village. Photo by Nathan Metcalf

    Ballot questions allow voters to directly weigh in on proposed laws, bypassing the state Legislature. In Massachusetts, qualifying a question requires collecting tens of thousands of valid voter signatures within a tight timeframe, a process that has given rise to a small, highly specialized industry.

    Hubschman, along with two partners, owns SignatureDrive.com, a firm that has become the dominant signature-gathering business in Massachusetts and an important national player. The firm has completed more than 100 statewide signature drives for ballot initiatives and candidates in 26 states, all successfully.

    Since 2009, the company has run collection drives for 26 of the 29 ballot initiatives in Massachusetts that hired paid firms. Of the 11 ballot questions currently advancing through the certification process for potential inclusion on this November’s ballot – the most in state history if all qualify – SignatureDrive collected signatures for eight.

    But the petition process is more than just a business to Hubschman, who has called Brookline home since 1984, after immigrating to the United States from his native Montreal. 

    “It’s the purest form of democracy…This country was built on petitioning the government,” he said before whipping out his business card, emblazoned across the top with a quote from the U.S. Constitution: “Congress shall make no law … abridging … the right of the people … to petition the Government.”

    Hubschman’s circuitous journey into the world of signature-drive organizing began in 1994, when he got involved in his friend Doug Barth’s ballot campaign to eliminate tolls on the Massachusetts Turnpike.

    “I wanted to work on a campaign, and so I helped him with that,” Hubschman said. “I’d literally never been involved in politics before then. And so we had to go out and collect, I think that year it was like 60,000 valid signatures.”

    The effort quickly became a crash course in the mechanics of direct democracy. With no established infrastructure, Hubschman and his collaborators had to build a signature-gathering operation from scratch.

    “We’d never done this before. We were building an organization on the fly,” he said. “And I realized at the end of that experience that I hate collecting signatures, and I never want to do it again.”

    While he came to dislike being grimaced while standing outside supermarkets for eight hours, Hubschman discovered that he had a knack for the logistical side of organizing the drives.

    “I told Doug, I will run the entire statewide signature drive if I don’t have to collect signatures,” Hubschman said. “And Doug said, ‘Sold.’”

    What began as an impromptu operation has since grown into a Massachusetts industry leader. SignatureDrive’s work sits within a niche corner of politics that few voters ever consider.

    In a state with more than five million voters, “There are probably fewer than 100 people who know how to do what we know how to do,” Hubschman said. “It’s a very niche field. There are very few people who are good at it. It’s extremely lucrative, quite honestly, and it’s fun for us.”

    The initial defeat does still sting, however,

    “Tolls on the pike are a really dumb idea, and one of these days I’m gonna actually get that question on the ballot to get rid of them,” he said. 

    Behind the scenes, Hubschman describes running a signature drive as a herculean feat of organization.

    During peak campaign season in Massachusetts, typically the eight-week window in the fall when campaigns race to collect enough signatures to qualify for the ballot, Hubschman said he works roughly 100-hour weeks. His days often begin around 9 a.m. and stretch until 2 a.m., spent almost entirely on the phone coordinating crews, managing logistics, and tracking progress across the state.

    Much of that work involves coordinating a small army of experienced signature gatherers who travel from campaign to campaign across the country.

    “They’re like migrant political workers,” Hubschman said. “They travel around the country, and they collect signatures. They’re people who do this year-round.”

    Managers often rent Airbnbs as workspaces where petitioners can turn in signatures, while individual workers stay in nearby motels or short-term housing, moving as needed to where demand is highest.

    The work itself is repetitive and often thankless.

    “We tell them you’re going to stand in front of a supermarket. A thousand people are going to walk by over the course of eight to 10 hours, 900 of them are going to blow you off,” Hubschman said. “A good day is when you get 50 people to sign. A great day is 100.”

    Signature drives are expensive undertakings. Hubschman said a full campaign to qualify a question for the ballot typically costs between $800,000 and $1 million, most of which he said is paid to signature collectors.

    When asked whether that price tag creates a barrier for everyday people trying to get issues on the ballot, Hubschman pointed to the recent success of one of the few questions slated to appear before Massachusetts voters this November that his company didn’t collect signatures for. 

    “Rent control did their initiative entirely with volunteers,” he said, before conceding the limits of that approach. “I mean, the answer is yes, it’s definitely easier if we do it.”

    Campaign filings first reported on by the State House News Service,  however, show that even the rent control campaign — which proudly touted not hiring a paid signature-gathering firm — relied in part on paid nonprofit staff to collect signatures, blurring the line between a volunteer effort and one supported by compensated labor, and underscoring the rarity of truly all volunteer drives. 

    Despite the scale of his operation, Hubschman describes his role as largely procedural, noting that SignatureDrive.com works with a wide range of clients across the political spectrum. 

    “I’m running a business, and it’s not my role to decide who gets to be in the debate,” he said. “If you want to raise taxes, we’ll help you do that. If somebody else wants to lower that tax down the road, we’ll help them do that too.”

    Hubschman said he and his partners do not discuss their personal opinions about initiatives with clients, nor do their clients ask for them. Still, that neutrality has limits.

    “We each have red lines. If the ick factor is too high, we won’t touch them under any circumstances,” Hubschman said. “I’m pro-choice, I’m pro-equal marriage, pro-union. I am pro-immigrant. I won’t work on initiatives that I consider to be on the wrong side of those issues.”

    Even so, Hubschman denies that his firm’s dominance over the signature-gathering business in Massachusetts makes him a gatekeeper to the process.

    “I tell my clients, we’re the only people who can get you on the ballot in Massachusetts,” he said wryly. “But other people can do it.”

    Instead, Hubschman insists that he and his colleagues are simply neutral facilitators.

    “We definitely do not have an outsized influence. We’re just the technicians who collect the signatures,” he said. “If we weren’t doing it, eventually other people would figure out how to do it too, but not as well as us.”

    With a record number of questions slated to appear on Massachusetts voters’ ballots this year, Hubschman said the trend reflects growing frustration with the state Legislature, which was the least efficient in the country in 2025 based on the ratio of bills proposed to bills passed, according to policy analysis firm Fiscal Note .

    “Political groups don’t do it unless they have been trying for years to get it done through the Legislature and not succeeding,” he said. “The process wouldn’t exist if people were able to get things easier through the Legislature.”

    From his vantage point, having attended hearings on several of this year’s ballot questions in recent weeks, Hubschman said lawmakers’ frustration is evident, even if it is not always explicit.

    “They’re polite in their annoyance,” he said.

    That frustration, he said, is most focused on proposals that would directly affect lawmakers’ own power or independence. Among the most hated this year, by his estimation, are the questions pertaining to legislative stipends and public records laws.

    While he couldn’t point to specific proposals, Hubschman said he has recently heard rumblings from reporters around the Statehouse that during the next legislative session, lawmakers may move to make it more difficult to get questions on the ballot in response to the unprecedented number advancing toward November.

    Hubschman, for one, is unsurprised, “They’re perennially trying to reform the ballot process,” he said. “They’re always trying to make it harder.”

    He is, however, not particularly bothered by efforts to further complicate the already idiosyncratic process. To sum up his perspective on the matter, Hubschman recalled a meeting some years back with a former head of the Legislature’s Election Laws Committee at the Statehouse, whom he declined to name.

    “The first thing he said was, ‘I want to increase the number of signatures,’” Hubschman said. “And I said, ‘I love that idea.’ He was surprised and said, ‘Why?’ I said, ‘Because we make more money.’ He was shocked.”

  • Town Meeting approved a property tax relief program for veterans in 2024. Why hasn’t it been launched?

    When Town Meeting unanimously approved a property tax work-off program for veterans in November 2024, co-petitioner Alec Lebovitz said he was excited to spread the word to the community.

    “It provides some much-needed relief to a very small number of residents,” he said, “but residents who need that help and, in this case, have all served our country.”

    Nearly a year and a half later, the program has yet to launch.

    Town Meeting members talk before the start of the meeting on Tuesday, Nov. 19, 2024 Photo by Brennan Kauffman

    The measure is supposed to offer property tax abatements to veterans and surviving spouses in exchange for part-time service to the town. Participants could volunteer up to 125 hours in town departments such as the library and schools to reduce their property tax bill by up to $1,875 annually. Dozens of municipalities throughout Massachusetts, including Boston and Newton, have adopted similar programs.

    The veteran tax work-off program was to run in tandem with the 35-slot senior tax work-off program that has been running in Brookline since 2009. However, Vivian Williams, the senior tax-work off program coordinator, said she was unaware of this addition. “I don’t know anything about veterans,” she said.

    Town officials and Select Board members were unable to provide a clear reason why no slots for veterans have been added.

    Assistant Town Administrator Charles Young suggested there may have been trouble finding a veteran who would both benefit from the program and be able to provide skills needed by town department roles.

    Town Administrator Chas Carey said his impression is that most veterans in Brookline rent rather than own homes and would therefore not benefit from the program. 

    Town data suggests dozens of veterans own property in Brookline. The most recently available accessors’ data show that 51 veterans and surviving spouses received property tax reductions in 2023. The age demographics of these veterans are unavailable, but roughly 70% of Brookline veterans overall are over age 60, according to U.S. Census data.

    While this means many veterans would also be eligible for the senior tax work-off program, they would be subject to an income cap of $92,650, unlike the veterans program, which does not have a specified income cap. 

    Creating slots for veterans would not only allow younger veterans to participate but also ensure that older veterans in need would have access to the program without having to compete for a spot in the senior tax work-off program, Lebovitz said.

    Some concern was raised during the proposal’s initial discussion about diluting the effectiveness of the senior work-off program by creating competition between seniors and veterans for limited volunteer roles in town departments.

    “I don’t want it to be a situation where we have a waiting list and it’s pitting two groups against one another,” Carey said. 

    In the proposal for the program, former Veterans’ Services director Bill McGroarty estimated three or four younger veterans could benefit. 

    In a later public hearing, McGroarty reported that one older veteran had already reached out to apply before the town had begun marketing the program. This prompted co-petitioners Lebovitz and Neil Gordon to send a letter to the Select Board last November, urging them to create at least one slot in the veterans program for fiscal year 2027.

    “Fully implementing this program has the potential to create a financial lifeline for struggling veteran families in Brookline at a time when the challenges they face are only growing,” they wrote. 

    Difficulty adjusting to civilian life after service, unemployment and medical debt are some of the reasons veterans experience disproportionate financial instability, according to the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs website. 

    Gordon and Lebovitz said they never received a response to the letter, and the budget cycle began this February with no motion on the program.

    While the co-petitioners acknowledged that the number of veterans who would benefit is unclear, Lebovitz said the only way to find out is by launching the program. He said he was surprised Brookline hadn’t already adopted it when he first came across the opt-in law. 

    “Why doesn’t Brookline have this program?” he said. “If it’s a voluntary program that basically costs us nothing and helps individual residents, why wouldn’t we have this?” 

    Elmon Hendrickson, commander of Brookline American Legion Post 11, said that while he doesn’t know of any individual veterans who would benefit from the program, he thinks it could be helpful to younger veterans. 

    “If they don’t have to be a senior citizen to get it, that would be great,” he said. 

    All the program is waiting on is the Select Board, Lebovitz said. “The issue isn’t that we need money set aside in the budget,” he said. “We need the Select Board to actually create those program slots and get the ball rolling.”

  • Energy advocate hired through state grant will help Brookline residents with home energy efficiency

    Energy advocate hired through state grant will help Brookline residents with home energy efficiency

    Caroline Staudt was recently hired as an energy advocate by the town. Photo courtesy town of Brookline

    Brookline has hired an energy advocate to provide residents with free guidance on how to make their homes as energy efficient as possible.

    Funding for the position comes from a $126,000 grant from the Mass Save Community First Partnership. Mass Save, a statewide initiative that aims to lower energy usage and costs, selected 58 communities to participate in the partnership. 

    Caroline Staudt, Brookline’s new energy advocate, said her ambition is to empower homeowners, renters, landlords and business owners to make energy efficient choices through incentives, outreach and education. 

    “My position is designed to outreach to all residents in Brookline,” Staudt said, “especially among those who are traditionally underserved by energy efficiency programs.”

    Staudt, who has a background in real estate, said she is passionate about energy efficiency. When people make their homes more energy efficient, she said, they make their homes not only more climate-friendly but more comfortable.

    “I am here to demystify the program and to make the process easier for people, so that more homeowners feel empowered to take advantage [of the program],” Staudt said.

    In order to best utilize her services, Staudt said there is one crucial first step: a free home energy assessment, in which a professional assesses a home to sniff out possible energy efficiency improvements. Staudt said her job is to help people understand what their home energy assessment recommends as well as give tips as to how to follow up.

    One common way residents can increase the energy efficiency of their homes, Staudt said, is to air seal and better insulate them. Doing so reduces points of entry for pests and pollen as well as reduces energy usage, which can be “great on the wallet,” she said.

    “There are a lot of Brookline residents who may have heard the words ‘Mass Save’ but not really know what that means,” Staudt said. “My hope for those residents is that I can really educate them about what the Mass Save programs are, how they can take advantage and really help them get started.”

    State Rep. Tommy Vitolo, a former energy consultant whose district includes part of Brookline, said it can be difficult to navigate through all of the energy efficient choices one can make for their home.

    “Having a navigator — a person who is familiar with Mass Save and the contractors and the technologies and the different rebates or subsidies — will clearly help Brookline residents make the best choice for their family about how to invest in their home, to reduce energy consumption,” Vitolo said.

    Vitolo said there is “no one-size-fits-all” solution for Brookline homes, so each residence will have different areas of energy consumption to address. With Staudt in the mix, Vitolo said he is excited to see Brookliners receive help in making their homes more energy efficient. 

    “Fundamentally, every therm of natural gas, every kilowatt-hour of electricity that someone doesn’t consume not only saves them money, but it does result in cleaner air and cleaner water and a better future for our children,” Vitolo said.

    Kathleen Scanlon, an architect certified in energy-efficient building design, is a co-founder of the Brookline chapter of Mothers Out Front and member of the town’s Zero Emissions Advisory Board (ZEAB), two groups that are collaborating to provide accessible information on energy efficiency for the community through the campaign Electrify Brookline. 

    “As a mother, it was really important for me to see my children’s future evolve into buildings that were more energy efficient and sustainable,” Scanlon said.

    After moving from California to Brookline about 20 years ago, Scanlon said she didn’t see the same push for energy-efficient buildings on the east coast compared to the west. This pushed her to found Mothers Out Front and join ZEAB, as well as underscores her support for Staudt.

    “[Staudt] is a wealth of information,” Scanlon said. 

    Paul Ham, a home improvement contractor and member of ZEAB’s Residential Working Group, called Staudt an “amazing resource.” 

    “Ethically speaking, moving towards electrification is probably the right thing to do,” Ham said. “We’re at a kind of a pivotal point, like an inflection point, where I think a lot of the kind of stuff we can do to our homes are affordable and effective.” 

    Staudt will hold monthly office hours to discuss energy efficiency with residents. The first were on March 18. She said she will also arrange one-on-one meetings with those who are interested.

    “People want to take action, but they don’t know where to start, and sometimes not knowing where to start means that somebody just doesn’t take action,” Staudt said. “I hope that by being here and working with the town, I am able to get the word out that if you don’t know where to start — start with me.” 

    This story is part of a partnership between Brookline.News and the Boston University Department of Journalism.

  • Wegmans’ plan to close Chestnut Hill pharmacy sparks outcry

    Wegmans’ plan to close Chestnut Hill pharmacy sparks outcry

    Wegmans plans to close the pharmacy in its Chestnut Hill store next month, and local residents aren’t happy. Some are fighting back.

    The supermarket chain is closing the Wegmans Pharmacy to create more space for groceries in Chestnut Hill, a Wegmans executive told a local resident in an email. Wegmans’s corporate office did not respond to repeated calls and emails from the Newton Beacon.

    Deana Percassi, Wegmans’ vice president of community engagement, explained the decision to close the pharmacy in an email to Jeff Freilich, a Brookline resident who started a petition asking Wegmans to reconsider.

    “As previously mentioned, we have made the difficult decision to close the pharmacy at our Chestnut Hill store and repurpose the space to support the continued growth of the location,” Percassi wrote to Freilich. “We remain committed to making this transition as smooth as possible for all pharmacy customers. Our team is available to help transfer prescriptions to another Wegmans Pharmacy, arrange home delivery, or move prescriptions to a pharmacy of your choice.”

    The supermarket, in the plaza across from The Shops at Chestnut Hill mall, attracts customers from Brookline and Newton.

    “One-mile radius is probably where you would expect seniors to go and walk, to go pick up their insulin or something like that,” Freilich said. “And there’s the idea that it’s certainly more convenient if you’re going to go out once or twice, you certainly want to do more than one thing.”

    Freilich started a petition on change.org Feb. 11 after seeing a sign in front of the pharmacy announcing its closure. The sign states the closure will happen in mid-April and offers instructions for customers to move their prescriptions to another Wegmans location.

    That doesn’t sit well with Freilich. “With the Wegmans pharmacy gone,” his petition says, “the primary nearby alternative will be CVS Pharmacy whose two pharmacy locations in Chestnut Hill are already overburdened with long wait times.”

    “I’m usually very careful not to be opinionated on anything ,” said Freilich, who has lived in Brookline for 25 years. “But this was something that really bothered me.”

    Freilich said he transferred his prescriptions to Wegmans a few months ago because his wife had recommended the store. Freilich said he liked the convenience of getting his medications where he buys groceries as well as the inviting staff.

    Marilyn Wolman, a resident of Brookline for over 60 years, said she has been picking up prescriptions from Wegmans location since its opening in 2014.

    “This Wegmans is just fabulous,” Wolman said. “And when they first opened in order to get customers, if you came to this is when they first opened, if you went to the pharmacy, they would give you a $10 voucher to shop in the grocery store, just so they could get customers.” 

    Wolman said she prefers Wegmans over the other pharmacies in the area because of its efficiency and proactive approach. 

    “Number one, Wegmans texts you that they have received a prescription for you,” she said. “
And then they send you a text that they’re working on it, and then they send you a text when it’s ready, and then they follow up within a month if you need a refill.”

    The store is less than a mile from Wolman’s home. The next closest Wegmans Pharmacy is in Westwood, 10 miles away.

     As of March 4, the petition had over 800 signatures. 

    Some of the supporters’ comments on the petition mention fondness for the pharmacy while others call out what they see as Wegmans’ violation of its mission statement.

    “Your decision to close the pharmacy does not align with your goal of being a critical part of the community and the compassion that your employees show customers everyday,” wrote Laurie Gerber.

    Freilich said most of his frustration comes from Wegmans’ explanation for the closure, citing a need to make space for more groceries. Freilich pointed out that the entire second floor of that Wegmans’ is dedicated to liquor. 

    “If they really want to show a commitment to the neighborhood, then they have to show that they’re committed, even if it means keeping open a not so profitable part of their store.” Freilich said. “They have to show that they are doing good for the neighborhood.”

    A pharmacist at Wegmans seemed willing to speak about the closure with a reporter who visited until a manager said that no employee there could comment. 

    Wegmans officials failed to respond to multiple calls and emails over a two-week period from the Newton Beacon.

    Freilich forwarded the signed petition and community comments to the manager of the Chestnut Hill store and other members from the Wegmans’ corporation.

    “I’m kind of trying to maximize impact,” Freilich said, “but I don’t want to go and be the cheerleader here because I am, you know, I’m just trying to do what I believe is important for the neighborhood.”

    ****

    This story is part of a partnership between the Newton Beacon and the Boston University Department of Journalism.

  • Brookline’s rent control bid advances through state legislature

    Brookline’s rent control bid advances through state legislature

    The Massachusetts State House. Photo via Wikimedia Commons

    Brookline’s push to reestablish a cap on rent increases cleared another hurdle this month, with the town’s home rule petition winning initial approval in the Massachusetts Senate, a  procedural step before a final vote in that chamber in April.

    If approved, the bill would move to the House, bringing the town one step closer to regaining the authority to enact rent stabilization for the first time since 1994, when Massachusetts voters approved a statewide ballot question banning rent control as it previously existed.

    Because of Chapter 40P of the Massachusetts General Laws , enacted through that 1994 ballot question, Brookline must obtain authorization from the Legislature through a home rule petition before adopting rent stabilization locally. If approved, it would become the first Massachusetts municipality to implement rent regulation in more than three decades.

    The proposal reached Beacon Hill after a November 2023 Special Town Meeting vote, when members approved a warrant article 112–107, with 13 abstentions, directing the town to seek state authorization.

    Alec Lebovitz, a Town Meeting and Advisory Committee member who was one of the article’s original petitioners, said the policy was crafted in response to sharp rent increases threatening to displace residents.

    “I can remember speaking to one young woman who rents a home with her partner and her daughter,” Lebovitz said. “She was facing, at that time, an increase in her rent, $800 a month. No repairs had been made to the house. Nothing had changed, except that the landlord determined he could charge that much.”

    Under the proposal, Brookline could cap annual rent increases at the Consumer Price Index plus 3%, or 7%, whichever is lower. Newly constructed units would be exempt for 15 years, along with owner-occupied properties with four units or fewer.

    “We were very deliberate when we crafted our home rule petition to try and build more flexibility to avoid creating that disincentive,” Lebovitz said, referring to concerns about discouraging new housing development.

    The Brookline petition is advancing as voters prepare to consider a separate statewide initiative petition  that would repeal Chapter 40P and establish a framework for rent stabilization to be imposed on every municipality in the commonwealth.

    That proposal would limit annual rent increases for most covered units to the Consumer Price Index or 5%, whichever is lower, including after tenant turnover. It would exempt owner-occupied buildings with four or fewer units and housing constructed within the past 10 years.

    Under the state’s initiative process, proponents may negotiate with lawmakers before the measure appears on the ballot. Carolyn Chou, executive director of Homes for All, told The Boston Globe earlier this month  that the group would consider dropping the measure if lawmakers passed a “strong” rent control policy.

    The prospect of that more sweeping measure is shaping debate over authorizing individual municipalities like Brookline to adopt more limited policies.

    “I support communities voting, by community, for if they want rent stabilization,” said Sen. Cindy Creem, D-Newton, who filed Brookline’s home rule petition in the Senate and said affordability is the top concern she hears from constituents.

    “I think it makes more sense to do that versus the broad issues in the ballot,” Creem said. “What Brookline is doing is more realistic.”

    Rep. Tommy Vitolo, D-Brookline, said he views his role on home rule petitions as advancing the will of the Town Meeting.

    “If Town Meeting says they want it, it’s now my job to try to make it happen,” Vitolo said.

    However, while acknowledging that rent caps could help current tenants, he warned of long-term tradeoffs.

    “It will certainly improve the housing affordability situation for the people who have housing,” Vitolo said. “It’s not clear that the folks who want to move in but now can’t find a place will feel quite as good about it.”

    Vitolo said rent stabilization does not address what he sees as the underlying cause of rising costs.

    “The problem with housing prices is that supply isn’t meeting demand. We need more housing,” he said.

    Rep. Kevin Honan, D-Boston, who chaired the Legislature’s Committee on Housing for 17 years, came out more decidedly in favor of Brookline’s petition.

    “I would be supportive of that,” Honan said. “The cost of housing is out of control.”

    Honan said the proposal strikes a balance by allowing rent increases while offering predictability.

    “That’s still a rent increase that would allow a property owner to maintain the property and make a profit,” he said.

    Asked about concerns that rent stabilization could deter new housing construction, Honan said he didn’t anticipate that problem in high-demand communities like Brookline.

    “Many of these communities are so desirable to live in that production will continue,” Honan said.

    Doug Quattrochi, executive director of MassLandlords, a statewide landlord trade association that counts Brookline property owners among its ranks, said his organization opposes any rent caps that do not compensate property owners.

    “An uncompensated cap is a nonstarter,” Quattrochi said.

    He argued that Chapter 40P allows rent regulation only if landlords are reimbursed for the difference between market rent and the controlled rate, and said limiting rent without compensation amounts to taking private property without payment.

    Quattrochi acknowledged that no municipality in the country currently operates a compensated rent control system and that such an approach would require significant local budget overhauls.

    “We would never argue against teachers, firefighters, or police budgets. It’s all super important,” Quattrochi said. “But towns also fund discretionary projects like dog parks and conservation. At the end of the day, if you want rent-burdened people to remain in your community, someone has to decide how to pay for it.”

    Quattrochi noted that the landlord advocacy group Housing for Massachusetts coalition has already filed suit challenging the statewide initiative petition, arguing that repealing Chapter 40P’s compensation requirement through an initiative petition violates a clause in Article 48 of the state Constitution  prohibiting initiative petitions that aim to contravene “the right to receive compensation for private property appropriated to public use.” 

    He said Brookline’s home rule petition would likely face similar legal challenges if enacted without compensation.

    “This rent control stuff is not going to happen,” he said. “Option one, compensation, is the bottom line; option two is we’re suing.”

    Correction: A previous version of this article misspelled the name of MassLandlords director Doug Quattrochi. The article has been updated.