Advisory Council Weighs Picks for Four Panels

Moderator Advisory Councll · Meeting of August 19, 2026

Belmont's Moderator Advisory Council reviewed 20 applicants for four town committees without taking any appointment votes. Town Moderator Adam Dash said he will announce decisions between August 26 and August 31 after a public comment window closes. Council members split over six Warrant Committee finalists from a field of 13, with members favoring Mark Carthy, Kathy Cohane, Jonathan Hakeem and incumbents Hilton Medavu-Matson and Marie Warner, while disagreeing on whether Town Meeting membership should weigh in candidates' favor.

Town Meeting member Peg Callinan told the council "I believe recently we've had some new members who have shortcut some of their responsibilities." The Bylaw Review Committee's three seats drew seven applicants, including lawyer Anthony Fitzpatrick, interviewed live at the meeting. Two uncontested incumbents, Chris Doyle and Aaron Picklingus, were likely to be reappointed to the Comprehensive Capital Budget Committee.

In the full story:

• Who Was There
• Organizations And Documents Referenced
• The complete report — 2,132 words

Source: the Moderator Advisory Councll meeting of August 19, 2026, reported from the official video recording and transcript.

Checked against the record: before publication this article was automatically compared with the meeting transcript.