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4 | 2016 Annual Report Town Government Board of Selectmen Five members elected by the voters at large to overlapping engage all Lexingtonians and to provide forums to allow 3-year terms: Chair Joe Pato, Peter Kelley, Norman Cohen, public opinion to be voiced, heard, and explored. Michelle Ciccolo, and Suzie Barry. Mr. Pato and Ms. Barry Lexington continues to become more ethnically diverse. - nized in May electing Ms. Barry chair and subsequently to similar communities in California and New Jersey that electing Ms. Ciccolo vice-chair.have had comparable changes in demographic makeup. Best practices for community engagement have been col- interests of Lexington, and continuing to ensure the Town lected and will be reported on at the end of 2016. remains a strong, diverse, and healthy community. Land Acquisition and Use Fiscal Matters began operation in the summer of 2015, and expanded standing. Property tax revenues rose due to new growth primarily in the residential sector. Home prices have con-Grand Opening for the facility was on October 17, 2015 tinued to rise rapidly during the year, and the housing mar- ket has been robust. Residential property values, however, DemocracyRoom for Us All, by Lexingtons resident grew faster than commercial property values shifting some poet, Regie OHare Gibson. property tax burden from commercial to residential payers Renovations to the Cary Memorial Building were com- for a second year in a row. As a result, the Selectmen main-pleted and its grand re-opening held on October 24, 2015. tained the split tax-rate factor at its maximum to soften the - impact on residential taxpayers.gramming since its reopening, and provides greatly im- We have maintained our Aaa rating from our bond rating proved accessibility and sound quality for public meetings. Town Meeting authorized funding for the acquisition of their goal to have no operating overrides, and have contin-the property at 20 Pelham Road, the site of the former ued their policy to set aside a portion of revenues in a fund Armenian Sisters School, which is adjacent to the Com- that would be used to reduce the impact of excluded debt, and to support capital projects. continues to work toward reaching a conclusion to nego- Continued growth in the school-age population, and the tiations on the property. projections for growth over the next several years, may cre- ate budget challenges in future years. As a result, the Se- Capital Planning lectmen have recommended deferring several projects and have taken a more cautious approach to budget requests. and improving our capital infrastructure, including, but not limited to, our roads, water and sewer systems, parks and Community Engagement Among the Selectmens key goals is to work to sustain the municipal priority is to pursue refreshed public safety fa- social fabric which unites the Town as a community. Sev-cilities. In support of schools, the Town is following the eral issues this year have highlighted the need to improve revised Lexington Public Schools Master Plan in response community engagement so that an informed public can to burgeoning school enrollment. In March, Town Meet- participate in productive civic debate. ing appropriated just over $62 million to fund designs out- -lined in the School Building Consensus Plan to address sions on a variety of topics that have created strong and overcrowding in our middle schools. In May, the Town ap- -proved a debt-exclusion referendum to support the proj- -ects at the Clarke and Diamond Middle Schools, and for -the addition of modular classrooms at Bowman, Bridge agement proposals for the center; concerns over proposals and Fiske Elementary Schools.