SelectBoard candidate Anthony Buono urges voters to back May 5 override to avoid cuts to schools and services
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Summary
In an interview on Brookline Interactive Group, SelectBoard candidate Anthony Buono said failing to pass the May 5 override could force cuts including about 220 teaching positions, larger class sizes and reductions in public safety and senior services. He framed the override as a stopgap while pursuing tax-base growth and affordable housing.
Anthony Buono, a candidate for Brookline SelectBoard, told an interview on the Brookline Interactive Group show that the town’s May 5 override is necessary to avoid immediate cuts to schools and municipal services.
"Right now, if we do not pass this override, there will be a loss of around 220 teachers pushing class sizes up to 35 to 1," Buono said, adding that school-program cuts and lost positions in public safety would follow if the override fails. He also warned the town could lose a fire truck, about six police positions and cybersecurity funding currently supported by a federal grant that is not expected to return.
Buono framed his support for the override alongside a longer-term push to "grow the pie" — expanding the tax base through smart residential and commercial growth so the town will rely less often on overrides. He said past local leaders did not prioritize the kind of growth that would have eased repeated pressure on property taxes.
On affordable housing, Buono said the Affordable Housing Trust Fund is a key tool and said he has worked to adjust its cap for inflation after years of erosion in purchasing power. He described the comprehensive plan, the housing production plan and related studies as sources of ideas he would implement from the SelectBoard.
Buono, who described his background in mathematics and statistics and two years on the advisory committee, cited specific consumer-facing infrastructure and public-safety programs he helped advance through advisory and capital-subcommittee work. He recounted work with the Department of Public Works to reduce sidewalk "lips" that create tripping hazards and described one constituent who suffered a broken collarbone.
"We have to invest in infrastructure that keeps people safe," he said, emphasizing pedestrian safety, bike lanes on major corridors and parking solutions that support local businesses.
Buono urged greater priority for the senior center budget and expanded mental-health outreach for isolated seniors, noting a proposed $170,000 allocation to help with senior transportation that he said should not be allowed to lapse.
Asked about his youth and experience, Buono pointed to professional management experience overseeing teams and multimillion-dollar budgets and to his advisory-committee work on capital and finance matters, which he said contributed to a strong bond rating and record levels of DPW paving this year.
Buono said his campaign had secured roughly 50 endorsements from town meeting members, had a launch event on April 4 and had raised "about half" of his near-term fundraising target. He directed viewers to his campaign website and urged voter participation on May 5, when polls are open 7 a.m. to 8 p.m., with early voting at town hall and ballot receptacles at Putterham Library, Coolidge Corner Library and outside town hall.
The interview was hosted by State Representative Tommy Vitolo on the Brookline Interactive Group program TV on TV; Buono closed by asking for endorsements, volunteers and votes in the upcoming election.
