Election 2025: Steve Nelson for Recreation Commission

This article is a part of the Burlington Buzz Election 2025 Series, in which we profile each candidate for election. This year's election is on April 5, 2025, and our mission is to make it easy for all registered voters to vote by ensuring the community has access to information about the candidates and issues on the ballot. Visit our ELECTION CORNER for more information about the election.

The Recreation Commission is behind the long-term vision of Burlington's recreation programs and facilities maintenance. While we don't always see the Commission in action, their work is evident in Burlington's Recreation Department, which shines as a national model for what inclusive recreation can be.

Steve Nelson has been a Commissioner since 2020, and before that he was a member of the School Committee for 24 years. The competition for School Committee was fierce in 2020, and Nelson lost his seat by a handful of votes. "I wasn't quite ready to give up town [government]," he said, and soon he learned of an opening on the Recreation Commission, which he sought and won. He later ran for a one-year seat (the remainder of that seat's term) in 2021 and for his first three-year term in 2022. This year he runs unopposed for another three-year term.

Having lived in Burlington for most of his life, Nelson attended Burlington Public Schools and took part in the Recreation Department's programming—although at that time, he said, "they didn't have quite as many as they do now." He also attended Boston College and later Suffolk School of Law, and he has spent most of his career as a practicing attorney.

Nelson has enjoyed his time on the Commission, especially discussing new projects and obtaining funding. His experience on the School Committee and on the Ways and Means Committee, he said, means he understands how to go about securing for budget increases and funding for new initiatives. "It's exciting to be able to advocate for different warrant articles and new facilities," he said, "knowing that we've got a pretty good chance of getting the support from Town Meeting."

Specific projects he is excited about include the plan to revamp Overlook Park, the project to install a turf field at Marshall Simonds Middle School, and eventual plans to replace the playground at Simonds Park.

Nelson's priorities once elected are to continue building on the excellent programming the town already offers and to keep the facilities in good shape.

Therapeutic recreation is one area in which Burlington shines, says Nelson, which "a lot of communities don't have, and they're kind of modeling their programs after what Burlington is doing...There are more and more kids that need therapeutic recreation options in today's world. So that's something I think that we want to focus on going forward."

As for facilities, a fresh 10-year plan was unveiled at a recent Recreation Commission meeting and Nelson advocates for continuous improvement via an annual $200,000 Town Meeting warrant article for repairs and, eventually, more proactive maintenance on fields and facilities. "I think that we need to be aggressive in asking town meeting for the funding necessary," he said. "Recreation is a big part of the town of Burlington. There's a huge percentage of residents that utilize the recreational facilities and so we want to keep them in tip top shape."

At the heart of his role on Recreation Commission, though is responding to community input. "Our constituency is everybody in the town; it's young kids, middle-aged kids, it's senior citizens. So you want to make sure that you get facilities that address everybody's needs." Nelson stressed that anyone with questions or concerns about Recreation programs and facilities is welcome to reach out to the Commission and attend their public meetings, which generally occur two Mondays a month.

He also encouraged community members to make their voices heard at the polls. "I always appreciate the people who go out there and vote," he said.

Steve Nelson is running unopposed for a second full term on the Recreation Commission. Learn more about the Recreation Commission and the other roles up for election in the April 5, 2025, Burlington Town Election.