Priorities for Peter Morin

INVEST IN OUR SCHOOLS

My wife, our three children, and I, all attended Braintree Public Schools. I'm proud to have shared a role in both keeping Highlands open and building new middle schools, but work remains to be done. Highlands, our five other elementary schools, and the high school will all benefit from continued improvements. As District 6 Councilor, I worked with Mayor Joyce to adopt a Special Education Stabilization Fund. This establishes a reserve that can supplement the school budget if necessary.

FIX THE BUDGET

Braintree has once again balanced the budget. This budget isn’t perfect, but it is a step forward; and it is a substantial measure of positive progress from where we were last year. We can build on these improvements and should grow our free cash so we are able to fund one-time capital projects and manage unexpected expenses.

SENIOR TAX RELIEF

I'm thankful to the voters for passing the override and grateful that my fellow council members have simultaneously prioritized relief for seniors. There are multiple exemptions available to people 65 and older and I'm happy to assist anyone with understanding these options. As Norwell Town Administrator, I led an effort to provide tax relief to “house poor” seniors. Norwell passed special legislation that gave seniors who were eligible for the state’s “Circuit Breaker” tax relief program additional relief from local property taxes. Braintree has now joined approximately 40 other cities and towns in Massachusetts by providing this relief.