Burlington's May Town Meeting 2026: Conversations to Watch
Shawsheen's troubled budget, a wireless tower fight, no Fourth of July fireworks — here's what's on the table at Burlington's May 11 Town Meeting.
Shawsheen's troubled budget, a wireless tower fight, no Fourth of July fireworks — here's what's on the table at Burlington's May 11 Town Meeting.
The Annual Town Meeting for Burlington, MA, features major items such as capital and operational budgets for schools and town departments, changes to animal bylaws, and a crypto ATM ban.
Some open seats remain; others were filled by write-in candidates.
Burlington voters returned Katherine Bond and Jeremy Brooks to the School Committee; a number of new Town Meeting Members are seated.
Burlington's April 11 election has open Town Meeting seats in Precincts 2 and 7. Here's how to run as a write-in — or vote for one.
Your final list of candidates on the ballot for the Burlington, Massachusetts, 2026 local election
Local Government
Town switches to new deputy collector vendor, adding digital payment option for the first time
Burlington residents — and out-of-town visitors who pick up a parking ticket in town — can now pay their fines online. The town recently switched to Kelley & Ryan, a deputy collector service, which brings digital payment capability that the previous vendor did not offer.
Treasurer-Collector Ana-Maria De Rosa highlighted the change during the office's budget presentation to the Select Board on March 9, noting that out-of-town visitors had been frustrated by the lack of a remote payment option. "People go to Burlington Mall from all over," she said, and many find online payments more convenient and reliable than using the postal system.
The switch covers all parking tickets issued by the Burlington Police Department, including handicap parking violations, which carry a $300 fine. (Moving violations such as speeding tickets are handled separately through the court system and are not affected by this change.)
Deputy Treasurer-Collector Paul Shvartsman said an online payment processing fee will likely apply when paying electronically, a fee that according to the online payment portal ranges from 50₵ for an e-check to $3.00 or 3.75% (whichever is higher) for credit card payments.
Handicap fines, the majority of Burlington's parking tickets according to Shvartsman, support the town's Disability Access Commission. The DAC uses those funds for community initiatives — including $25,000 of the $50,000 budget for a sensory trailer that will be coming to Burlington recreation events as early as this summer.
The switch to Kelley & Ryan represents a broader consolidation of the town's billing and collections. The firm already handles Burlington's excise tax bills, and De Rosa told the Select Board the town is looking to add water and sewer payments to the platform as well — at no additional cost. Consolidating vendors has also reduced expenses: the town is no longer paying separately for envelopes, paper, or postage on tax bills.
The online payment portal can be found here. Anyone with questions about parking ticket payments can contact the Treasurer-Collector's office directly at (781) 270-1625.
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