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Jim McKay, Millis DPW director, proposes expanding select board and prioritizes infrastructure, senior relief
Summary
Jim McKay, the Town of Millis public works director and planning board member, told Millis Community Media he wants to begin the process to expand the three-member select board to five, to improve representation, and emphasized infrastructure upgrades, senior tax relief programs, affordable housing steps and continued PFAS work; election is May 11.
Jim McKay, the Town of Millis director of public works and a long-serving planning board member, said he would push to begin the state-required process to expand the town’s three-member select board to five members if elected to the open three-year seat.
"I think it's great to get that discussion started, especially for representation," McKay said, describing a model with one representative from each precinct and two at-large seats and noting the change would require a multi-step state process and likely additional precincting.
McKay, who described more than 39 years in municipal government including roughly 20 as DPW director and 18 on the planning board, framed infrastructure as a top local priority. He said the town has recently paired water-main replacements with paving projects on streets such as Forest Road and Dover Road, extended sidewalks on Pleasant Street and secured grant funding for further work around the train station and fire station.
"Town meeting has been very generous in the past five years for paving projects," McKay said, and he credited coordination with state officials and the Department of Transportation for securing a $1,700,000 grant to address work on Route 109.
On housing and senior residents, McKay pointed to existing town-meeting-authorized programs aimed at seniors — including a senior tax write-off program and measures that reduced or removed the school portion of property tax for some longtime residents — but he said the exact amounts available under those programs were not specified in the interview. He said the select board and planning board are considering projects to add senior and low-income housing, including a development on Hammond Lane, and argued that parcels such as the Cassidy and Braun properties should have clear procedures in place before any transfer to the housing authority.
"If we're gonna do anything with those properties, there has to be a procedure in place before those parcels are even thought of to giving to the housing authority for more elderly housing," McKay said.
McKay also expressed support for the town’s middle-high school renovation project, saying the Clyde Brown School’s updated facilities attract young families to Millis. He said he will continue to raise PFAS as an ongoing public-health and infrastructure concern.
Describing his approach to serving on the select board, McKay said he would leverage his long experience attending meetings and working with current members to suggest agenda items and push for discussion of priorities. He highlighted his budget experience and involvement in permitting and local construction oversight as qualifications he would bring to the role.
McKay closed by thanking Millis Community Media and providing a contact email for voters: mckay4millis@gmail.com. The host reminded listeners that Election Day is Monday, May 11; polls at Town Hall open at 7:30 a.m. and close at 8 p.m.
