Billerica Select Board adjourns in standoff, chair refuses reorganization vote

BILLERICA — May 23, 2025 — Billerica Select Board special meeting collapses without leadership change after chairman refuses to recognize motions to unseat him. Chairman Michael Rosa, citing a same-day written opinion from town counsel, declined to recognize two motions by Selectman John Burroughs to vacate the chair and install Selectwoman Jillian Pavitas, arguing the action required procedures under Massachusetts General Laws Chapter 30A, Section 21A that had not been followed. Selectman Darius O'Connor and Burroughs — who called the special meeting under Section 7-10 of the Town Charter — countered that reorganizing a leadership position is not a removal and needs no separate process. Town counsel's opinion also found that a board investigative report had been released without a board vote and that an unnamed member had used the town seal on a personal Facebook page without authorization, risking fines under Chapter 268, Section 35. Pavitas ultimately moved to adjourn, telling the board, "We're embarrassing ourselves," and the motion carried 3-1 with one abstention, leaving the vice chair position vacant and the chair dispute unresolved.