Karyn Polito
Advisory Board Member FLIC
State Representative
State of Massachusetts

FLIC®, Female Leadership Interest Council

Motivated by her commitment to public service and the ability to positively impact the quality of life for all residents, Karyn has recognized the serious need for allocating more money to go back to cities and towns, and for stronger public safety laws, which is evident in her agenda. In her four terms in office, Karyn has advocated for a safer Commonwealth by filing legislation in a number of key areas: establishing minimum mandatory sentencing for sex offenders, cracking down on drunk drivers, closing school registration loopholes for missing children, requiring defibrillators in public schools, and strengthening the experience requirements for young drivers. Karyn continues to understand the strain on local budgets, and has worked relentlessly to secure increases in local aid, Chapter 70 school aid, Special Education aid, and Special Education transportation aid, as well as for grant funding for enhancement projects for Shrewsbury and Westborough. This year, changes to the Chapter 70 school aid formula were hotly debated, and Karyn co-sponsored four amendments, and filed her own amendment in a strong effort to raise the level of school aid. Karyn also worked with the legislature during the budget debate, to establish the Water Management Act Blue Ribbon Panel which will study the effectiveness of the Department of Environmental Protection (DEP)’s guidance policy. Towns like Shrewsbury and Westborough will benefit from this Panel as DEP’s current policy mandates that cities and towns in the Commonwealth adhere to a “one-size fits all” set of water regulations, and this Panel will present their report to DEP in order to adjust regulations based on the needs of each community.

Improving the quality of life in Shrewsbury and Westborough is also a consistent priority, as is evident in the success Karyn has had in securing funding for the number of local projects. This year alone has resulted in a number of successes for the community. The Fiscal Year 2008 House Budget included $70,000 for additional enhancements to the Jordan Pond Project, and $175,000 for Phase II of the Lake Street Recreation Area at the S.A.C. Park in the Town ofShrewsbury, adding to the $150,000 and $100,000 she secured for these projects in 2006. Since her election, Karyn has secured millions of state dollars for the beautification of our Shrewsbury Town Center and the Route 9 Lakeway Business District, and the development of CenTech Boulevard at Route 20. Karyn has also helped the Councils on Aging, public libraries and Housing Authorities receive state grants to further fund their program needs. Working to improve the lives of residents near I-290, Karyn successfully ordered a noise attenuation study to research the noise levels for Shrewsbury residents living near I-290. This is the only study funded by Mass Highway in ten years. After succeeding in her goal of having Mass Highway re-examine the noise on I-290, she also required that this segment of I-290 be resurfaced with sound absorbing pavement. Karyn also takes the input of her constituents seriously. In 2005, she formed the Senior Property Tax Advisory Group after the results of her Constituent Opinion Survey showed overwhelming feedback that property tax relief for seniors is necessary. The Advisory Group consisted of seven members from Shrewsbury and Westborough, each of whom has professional experience with the issues of senior property tax. After meeting several times, Karyn submitted a report of the Advisory Group’s recommendations to legislative leadership, most of which were adopted that same year. Karyn has also given back to her community through presenting Inspirational Leader Awards at her annual rally in October, and through the very successful Annual Polito Charity Golf tournament, which after five years, has presented over $100,000 to Shrewsbury Youth and Family Services, the Westborough Food Pantry, and other local charities. Additionally, in 2003, Karyn passed the legislation allowing for the issuance of special license plates with the Red Sox and Jimmy Fund insignias. The Red Sox special-issued license plates have raised nearly $2,000,000 to date for the Jimmy Fund. All revenues derived from the plate go to the Jimmy Fund of the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute.