Billerica Select Board Adds Juneteenth and Pride Flags to Town Policy

BILLERICA — May 18, 2026 — Billerica Select Board voted 4-1 to add Juneteenth and Pride flags to its official flag policy, waiving its own first-reading requirement over procedural objections. Select Board Member Daris O'Connor introduced the item, citing Billerica's status as a welcoming community; Member Michael Rosa cast the lone dissenting vote, warning the change exposed the town to legal risk. Town Counsel Brian Bertram, appearing live, said the addition of the two flags was "probably low risk" under the Shurtleff v. Boston framework but cautioned that repeated additions — especially those traceable to citizen requests — could open the board to litigation. The board also unanimously approved three one-stop grant applications totaling up to a $150,000 community planning grant and smaller matches for an MBTA inflow-and-infiltration project and tech park site readiness study, and rescinded a prior vote to post 25 mph speed limit signs in the Parker Street neighborhood after police data showed average speeds there already run at 19 mph. Water Superintendent Todd Molanson's proposed water and sewer abatement policy was sent back for revision after Rosa argued the document improperly removed elected water commissioners from the appeals process.