2 seek Select Board seat
BILLERICA >> In the middle of a busy local election season, two candidates, Dina Favreau and incumbent Andrew Deslaurier, are vying for a seat on Billerica’s Select Board in the April 6 town election.
Deslaurier has been on the Select Board for five consecutive terms, first elected in 2009. He has lived in Billerica for about 19 years after growing up in Rhode Island. In his day job, Deslaurier works for a pharmaceutical company in managed care strategy, which he said essentially means making sure that their medicines are covered by insurance companies.
In his family, Deslaurier said that public service is a core value, amplified further by his time as an Eagle Scout. That sentiment is what he said led him to run for Town Meeting representative in 2006, and then for Select Board for the first time three years later.
“I always had a fascination and interest in government. It is really hard to pick your kids’ hometown, so I have to do everything possible to make sure my kids’ hometown is a good one,” said Deslaurier.
Now running for a sixth time 15 years later, Deslaurier said he still feels as though there is an opportunity for him “to work on interesting and complex problems” as a member of the board.
“I really enjoy the role because I have the opportunity to do and learn interesting things. I am often answering questions at work about zoning and sewer systems,” said Deslaurier. “I like being the subject matter expert for my friends and neighbors and the whole community, and I enjoy continuing to make sure that Billerica is continuing on the positive trajectory it is on.”
If reelected, Deslaurier said he would continue to push for investments into the town’s infrastructure, like the upcoming Public Works building, fire station, recreation center and Senior Center projects the town has coming down the pipeline.
“Those are projects we have to continue to invest in, because we have made that promise to those constituencies,” said Deslaurier.
Deslaurier was a supporter of the Town Center project, and was one of three board members to vote to reject the petition for a town vote, leading to a lawsuit from Favreau. Though the project was ultimately rejected by the voters, Deslaurier said the night of the special election that he thinks there are elements of the project that could still be explored to improve the center without doing a large project like the one that was voted on.
Now, he specifically wants to look at the possibility of renovating the areas near where the Town Center meets Boston Road North and South, which have been part of an ongoing state project already.
“Those projects can give you areas to build off of rather than building directly in the center,” said Deslaurier.
Acknowledging the reality that local elections often drive lower turnout, Deslaurier said he hopes to see high numbers at the polls.
“I am really excited for this opportunity, and I truly encourage people to come out and vote on April 6,” said Deslaurier.
Favreau has lived in Billerica for most of her life, and said that her family has been in the town for five generations going back to the 1950s. She described herself as “quasi-retired” from the nonprofit sector, having founded a nonprofit called “Heroin is Killing my Town,” that focuses on outreach, placement, education and intervention for those suffering from opioid addiction, which impacted her own family directly.
Favreau also has had a career in the legal world. She said she has experience working at a Fortune 100 company as an insurance paralegal specializing in contract law, settlements, negotiations and conflict resolutions. She has also been an advocate for individuals suffering from domestic violence, homelessness and special education issues throughout her career. Most recently, Favreau was the lead plaintiff in a lawsuit against the Billerica Select Board that forced the Feb. 17 special election for the Town Center project, which resulted in the project being shot down.
“I am running now to give the residents of the town a new representative, a fresh voice and a fresh perspective,” said Favreau. “I am someone who will bring integrity to the table.”
Favreau said Billerica is facing an issue of major division between residents, particularly those who involve themselves in local politics.
“I’m not sure if most folks are polarized, but we do need to do a better job of bringing the community together,” said Favreau.
Favreau had wanted to run for local office for a long time, but the Town Center project and the ensuing lawsuit to force a townwide vote was the catalyst of multiple moments over the last year for her finally deciding to do so, including a situation revolving around opioid settlement funds.
“Initially they were left in the general fund for more than 18 months, and they were working to get them into a special stabilization fund,” said Favreau, noting she had been promised weeks before the Town Meeting that the funds would be on the warrant, but they were not when the initial warrant came out.
“When I wasn’t there, I
made some phone calls and got some pushback. So we had to have a special Town Meeting scheduled,” said Favreau, who is a Town Meeting representative.
If elected, Favreau said she hopes to put some focus into collecting community host agreement funds from Billerica’s cannabis dispensary, Collective Premium Cannabis.
“I would have liked to have seen those funds supplement the school budget, but that has already been settled,” said Favreau, referring
to the recent crunch in the budget for Billerica Public Schools that will result in positions being cut at the end of the year.
“Instead I would like to see them go towards support for mental health and substance abuse issues in Billerica,” she said.
Early voting for the Billerica town election begins Monday, April 1 at the Town Hall auditorium at 365 Boston Road from 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Monday and Tuesday, and 8:30 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Wednesday. The list of polling locations for different precincts on election day is available at town. billerica.ma.us/377/election-results-information.