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Meet Dawn

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"Dawn has demonstrated a commitment to engaging all stakeholders, including organized labor, to accomplish the Town's goal of providing the best services to the citizens and visitors of Lexington."- Rob Green, President, L1491 -

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<h2>Countdown to Victory</h2>Dawn needs help reaching voters across town. We know that if voters get to know Dawn and learn about her leadership and vision to move our town forward, they will be on board. People know that Dawn gets it done for Lexington residents and will do it again as a member of the Select Board.We need you to help us reach voters young and old ahead of the election on Monday, March 3rd. Dawn is facing one of the most spirited Select Board races in recent memory. Which is why we need your help to talk to your friends and neighbors today.Sign up with our team to host a lawn sign, make calls, knock doors, and help get the word out in your community. Complete the form below or contact us any time at <a href="mailto:info@dawnmckenna.org" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow">info@dawnmckenna.org</a>.Thank you for your support for Dawn,- Team Dawn

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"Dawn has demonstrated a commitment to engaging all stakeholders, including organized labor, to accomplish the Town's goal of providing the best services to the citizens and visitors of Lexington."- Rob Green, President, L1491 -

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<h2>Why I'm Running</h2>The Select Board represents the people. When working effectively, they are engaging with residents to understand their ideas and concerns, and setting policies that utilize their input to create a long term vision for our town.&nbsp;As our 250th celebration approaches, it is more clear than ever the Select Board needs a strong member who gets it done for residents. Who can continue what's working and improve on what's not. I grew up in Lexington, and chose to stay here and raise my family. I'm always going to fight to ensure our neighbors get the same opportunities that my family had. I will work to stimulate the local economy, ensure our town is affordable for all, and lead the charge to make sure residents’ voices are valued.

Election day is Monday, March 3rd. Dawn needs help reaching as many voters across town as we can! We know that if voters get to know Dawn and learn about her leadership and vision to move our Lexington forward, they will be on board. Those who know Dawn, know she gets it done for Lexington residents and will do it again as a member of the Select Board.Sign up with our team to host a lawn sign, make calls, knock doors, and help get the word out in your community. Complete the form or contact us any time at <a href="mailto:info@dawnmckenna.org" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow">info@dawnmckenna.org</a>.

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Dawn McKenna previously served on the Select Board and brought a renewed commitment to sound fiscal management, investments in infrastructure, and clear long term planning. Dawn has worked to stimulate economic development and lower costs for residents through innovative policy making and a collaborative approach to engaging with the community.She's running to bring that experience and vision to move Lexington forward to the Select Board. Residents can trust Dawn gets it done for Lexington.

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Dawn believes it is more clear than ever that Lexington needs a strong leader with a proven track record of facing the tough challenges and meeting them head on. She is someone who will continue what's working and improve on what's not, which is why she is running for Select Board.

<h3>Fighting for Our Community</h3>These are some of the top issues our campaign is focused on. Learn more about our issues <a href="/issues" target="" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow">here</a>.

Dawn's Priorities

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Dawn was previously elected to the Select Board at a time when Lexington regularly had to pass operating overrides to meet its fiscal needs. At that time, limited reserve funds and other financial concerns led to a declining bond rating, and a lack of long term capital planning was straining the town’s services and infrastructure. Dawn worked collaboratively to re-establish transparency and professionalism within town government which included the development of the town’s collaborative budgeting process to discuss policy with the Select Board, School Committee, and finance committees prior to setting the annual budget. The implementation of these fiscally responsible policies helped to build up reserve funds that restored the town’s AAA bond rating.Once elected to the Select Board, Dawn immediately got to work on long term capital planning. She chaired the Space Needs/Building Assessment Advisory Committee which laid the groundwork for the eventual building of the new Department of Public Works headquarters, Fire and Police stations, and modernized Town Hall with 21st Century technology. As chair of the Select Board, Dawn built a coalition to break a 20-year log jam to ensure the DPW headquarters would be built on Bedford St.With an eye towards economic development being the key to maintaining the quality of life for Lexington residents while limiting the burden on taxpayers, Dawn led the development of the town’s award winning Liberty Ride. She built a coalition of support for additional investment in the visitor-based economy and spearheaded the new Visitors Center. Along with other innovative policies, Dawn’s economic development initiative provided much needed revenue to the town from outside the residential tax base.Dawn was on the frontlines in the early 1990s advocating for reforming the town’s long held policy of budgeting for municipal needs first, and leaving the schools whatever funds were left over. She had the vision to address the overcrowding at the elementary school level, and was instrumental in advocating for the reopening of the Hastings School. Dawn understands and values the collaboration we see today between the Select Board and School Committee, and will work to ensure the needs of residents young and old are at the heart of policy making into the future.Throughout her extensive and successful career, Dawn has proven that she gets it done for Lexington’s residents by creating an innovative and forward-looking approach to policy making. Dawn is someone who will work to empower residents and make sure everyone has a seat at the table when it comes to the future of our town.A mother of two and a dedicated Boston sports fan, Dawn is married to a retired public elementary school principal and teacher. The daughter of a Navy veteran who helped create and pass the landmark Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Act, she has always been a small business advocate at heart.<img src="https://run.imgix.net/7ac7f056-98ee-47bc-8a87-0b5ed4b1d978/fe27c275-a15c-4420-8064-182022d87534/fe27c275-a15c-4420-8064-182022d87534.png?ixlib=js-3.8.0&amp;bri=0&amp;con=0&amp;sat=0&amp;high=0&amp;shad=0&amp;usm=0&amp;rect=0%2C0%2C1080%2C1080&amp;w=1500" alt="" caption="" align="left" alignwidth="40" variant="framed">Dawn moved to Lexington when she was five, and first met her future husband while in second grade at the old Franklin Elementary School. While attending Lexington High School (Class of ‘76) she was Class Treasurer and helped to start the school’s renowned debate team. Dawn went on to Wheaton College where she graduated with a degree in American history and American government, and holds a Graduate Certificate in Administration and Management from Harvard.Following college, Dawn was a teacher at a Presidential Classroom for Young Americans in Washington D.C., and began to realize the positive effect of sound policy making at the local level. After her children were born, Dawn began regularly attending Select Board and School Committee meetings to learn how they worked to support Lexington’s residents, a practice she still maintains to this day.&nbsp;Through regularly attending meetings of the town’s various boards and committees Dawn began to understand that she brought the skills necessary to advocate for the needs of her fellow residents. In 1994, at a time when Lexington faced a similar population boom we see today, Dawn was first elected to serve in Town Meeting. She began her work advocating for the needs of her fellow neighbors as a member of the Hastings Reopening Task Force, the Bridge PTA, the Town Celebrations Committee, and eventually as chair of the Town Meeting Members Association. Since then, Dawn has campaigned and has been enthusiastically re-elected to Town Meeting every term. Bringing together diverse coalitions around countless issues and projects have been the hallmark of Dawn’s contributions to help create the thriving community Lexington is today.

"Dawn McKenna is a proven leader and a great public servant for Lexington. As the State Representative for Precinct 6, I have seen firsthand her commitment and dedication to engaging with our constituents as a Town Meeting Representative."

Endorsed by State Representative Ken Gordon

Elect the candidate that is a proven leader who gets it done for Lexington

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Whether it is a senior volunteering at the community center, a parent joining the PTA, or the tireless efforts of our neighbors leading the way on sustainability, we all play a vital role in creating the kind of community in which we want to live and raise our families.Dawn believes firmly that the guiding principle of town government should be to engage with its residents in a meaningful way to understand their ideas and concerns, and set policies that utilize their input to build a long term vision for our town.As an advocate, a Town Meeting Representative, and during her previous time on the Select Board, Dawn has been someone who listens first, builds coalitions, and gets it done for Lexington. With your vote, she will continue to do that as your representative on the Select Board.

The strength of Lexington has always been the engagement of its residents. Dawn will value their input when crafting policy for the town.

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Engaging with Residents

The town’s budget has ballooned in the last 10 years from about $199 million to a recommended FY2026 budget of about $311 million, an increase of over 55%. Part of this can be attributed to COVID and inflation, however, spending has not slowed down.&nbsp;During this time, 76-80% of our revenue has continued to come from residential property taxes. And, with the new school building project, residents can expect their taxes to increase up to an additional 10-14%, according to the school building project website. This is a problem.Dawn believes the town government must employ innovative measures to provide services without increasing the burden on residential taxpayers.&nbsp;Dawn has a proven track record of generating creative ideas and policies to provide top level services for the community without relying solely on residential taxes. Using these principles she spearheaded the creation of public-private partnerships that lead to:<ul><li>A new Visitors Center, paid for with state, town, and private funds, which now serves as the economic development center of Lexington</li><li>The development and launch of the award-winning Liberty Ride trolley tour of Lexington and Concord at a net-zero cost to taxpayers&nbsp;</li><li>Stimulating the visitor based economy to triple the revenue generated by the hotels &amp; meals tax</li></ul>Through Dawn’s efforts, the Town and the local business community have seen the benefits in their bottom line as a result of the multiplier effect.As a Select Board member, Dawn will fight to do more to take the burden off residents. She will advocate for the Board to take a fresh look at long term planning and economic development opportunities that lessen the burden on residential taxpayers.

It is clear when Dawn talks with residents that they want the Select Board to do more to make Lexington affordable. As a member of the Select Board, Dawn will work to ensure our town is affordable for seniors and working families.

Affordability

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The MBTA Communities Act is a responsible step to combat the housing crisis in Greater Boston. However, Lexington went too far when it passed Article 34 in 2023. As passed, Lexington allows for 10x the housing units required by the MBTA Communities Act. Town Meeting’s vote on Article 34 also allowed for quadruple the acreage of by-right multifamily housing than required by the state. We are now seeing the consequences of Article 34 starting to strain our town’s essential infrastructure.<ul><li>Fire and Emergency Services Impacted<ul><li>The Town needs a new multi-million dollar ladder truck for the Fire Department, because the one we purchased just a few years ago will not reach the height of the new condos. Major improvements to the East Lexington Fire Station are now essential. In addition to meeting that need, with the rapid growth, it is clear that Lexington will need to invest in a third fire station to protect our residents.&nbsp;</li></ul></li><li>Water and Sewer Services Impacted<ul><li>Lexington’s water and sewer service is already reaching max capacity in certain areas of the town. With the building of these new developments, major system upgrades are likely needed.</li></ul></li><li>Impact on High School Building Project<ul><li>The high school building project is estimated to cost taxpayers around $700 million. Lexington is dealing with the very real possibility of a building that will be overcrowded before the shovel even goes in the ground.</li></ul></li></ul>Dawn has been a strong advocate for responsible growth in multifamily housing, and will continue to be one on the Select Board.In 2023, Dawn had the foresight to recognize the potential consequences of Article 34 when it came to Town Meeting. She worked to build a coalition of support around a responsible amendment that would meet the requirements of the MBTA Communities Act while managing the town’s growth. Despite unanimous opposition from the sitting Select Board and nearly unanimous opposition from the Planning Board, Dawn’s amendment fell just six votes shy of passing.&nbsp;When walking the neighborhoods of Lexington, the first question Dawn gets is her position on this vital issue. It is clear that people are looking for a leader who will vote to manage the growth and allow the Town time to do adequate long term planning to meet the needs of our community.As your Town Meeting Representative, Dawn tried to pass legislation to achieve this goal. As a member of the Select Board, Dawn will vote in favor of the Citizens Article that will come to Town Meeting, so Lexington cements its commitment to the MBTA Communities Act in a responsible manner.

Dawn is fully committed to meeting and exceeding the multifamily housing requirements of the MBTA Communities Act. She recognizes the role Lexington must play to help alleviate the housing crisis in Greater Boston, and she will support proposals that allow for responsible growth in multifamily housing.

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It is the responsibility of the School Building Committee to ensure we get the best project for the community. As a member of the Select Board, Dawn would encourage the committee to engage with residents in meaningful discussion to understand their perspectives and build broad support around a project that is meant to serve Lexington for 75 years.Dawn played a role in a number of successful capital projects in town such as the DPW Headquarters, Fire Station, and the Visitors Center. In those cases, efforts were made to ensure the town approved projects that were built to meet the programmatic needs of our community and had broad based support. The result is facilities that became some of the many jewels of our town.The high school project that gets put to the voters must meet our future needs. If the Town has to come back to the taxpayers for additional funds to upgrade or expand the new high school in the years after its opening, that would signal a massive failure in Town’s long term planning.Dawn firmly believes we owe the community more than a building that gets the bare minimum support. She wants to do the work to engage with residents and get this project right within the current project timeline.

Dawn believes that we need a brand new Lexington High School that meets the needs of our students, families, staff, and the broader community.

A New High School

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Dawn is running to bring her experience and vision to move Lexington forward to the Select Board. Residents can trust Dawn gets it done for Lexington.

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