Lexington is an amazing community where long-time residents have put down deep roots. Our residents would like to continue living in the community they love for as long as they are able. That certainly is the case for Lisa and I. We have “family” living here that spans four generations from grade school kids who are as close to being grandkids as you can get – to dear friends in their 90s. That intergenerational diversity is one of the key aspects of Lexington’s character that makes Lexington such a wonderful community

Lexington should be doing everything possible to allow seniors to continue living in Lexington as long as they are able. I support Lexington’s many excellent programs towards achieving this goal.

One of the best things Lexington has done for our seniors was the creation of the Community Center to address the overcrowding and lack of resources that were constraining the delivery of senior services at the previous senior center. The Town’s Human Services Department provides support for many excellent senior services such as Meals on Wheels, health and wellness programs, education and senior housing services.

The Town has developed a number of mobility services, such as Lexpress and LexConnect to allow seniors who can no longer drive to continue living in their homes. We should explore whether it might be possible to transition Lexpress to an on-demand service to make it easier for folks with mobility challenges to get around. I would also like to see more affordable housing options for seniors.

We live in a highly desirable community with property values that have soared over the last thirty years. That means that some of our seniors who are on fixed incomes may struggle to pay their property taxes. Lexington has implemented a number of programs to assist in that regard. One of the best programs, I fully support and would like to see expanded, is a property tax deferral program that allows homeowners over 65 and with under $70,000 in income to defer their property taxes until their home is sold.

Another way to lower our senior’s residential tax burden will be to increase our commercial tax base by revitalizing our commercial districts.

My wife, Lisa has a lifelong commitment and passion for seniors. For many years she delivered Meals on Wheels, served meals at the Senior Center, volunteered at the Dana Home and is on the board of the Dana Home Foundation, whose mission is providing for the care, comfort, and well being of senior citizens in Lexington. We talk about the needs of seniors in Lexington almost every day. Providing the support to allow seniors to stay in Lexington is one of the most important things Lexington can do to preserve the character of our town.