Burlington Select Board Approves Fire Promotions, Liquor Licenses, and FY27 Budgets in 5-0 Votes

BURLINGTON — March 23, 2026 — Burlington Select Board unanimously approved two fire promotions, a pair of new liquor licenses, and a suite of FY27 municipal budgets at its March 23 meeting. Fire Chief Brown presented the promotions of Firefighter David Rosenberger to lieutenant and Lieutenant Craig Callahan to captain, both effective March 24, citing vacancies created by a senior officer's retirement; both votes were 5-0. The board also approved a $10,000 transfer from the Disabilities Access Commission for Operation Access, a targeted handicapped parking enforcement program, after noting that 584 violations were written in just eight months and that the pace has since accelerated, with fines now set at $300 per violation. New all-beverages licenses were approved for Rocco's Tacos and Tequila Bar, which will become the chain's first New England location at the former Rosa Mexicano space in the Burlington Mall, and for Naya at 112 Burlington Mall Road. The board's $20,180,017 recommended chapter 32B employee benefits budget — a nine percent increase driven by rising health insurance claims — was approved alongside a $6,222,772 Middlesex Retirement assessment and a debt service budget up $957,000 to cover borrowing for the police station, Town Hall HVAC, Fox Hill Elementary, and the middle school field. The evening's most substantial discussion centered on a presentation by the Gutierras Company proposing a 426-unit mixed-use development at 300 Summit Drive, projecting roughly $1 million in new annual tax revenue; no vote was taken, and board members flagged concerns about Middlesex Turnpike walkability, holiday traffic, and the heavy weighting of rental over for-sale units.