Recreation Commission

The Billerica Recreation Commission was established by Article 11 of the Special Town Meeting of October 22, 1956, under Chapter 45, Section 14 of the General Laws, with one member from each precinct, to run the town's playground and recreation program. The town reports call it both the Recreation Committee and the Recreation Commission; its first members, chaired by George R. Cushman, appear in the 1957 report. Under the 1979 Town Charter (Section 8-4 (k)) it became a nine-member Recreation Commission appointed by the Town Administrator (later the Town Manager) for three-year terms, and in later years it has had up to twelve members. John E. Bartlett has chaired it since about 2006.

The day-to-day program is run by a paid Recreation Director (at times titled Recreation Supervisor) who is not a member of the commission. Directors named in the town reports include Anthony J. Zarella (1962-1963), Jack D. O'Brien (1965), Paul L. Whitley (about 1966-1969), Bernard McKenna (to 1981), Joseph Higgins, Jr. (Recreation Supervisor from 1981, later assistant and acting director), Margaret (Peggy) Hannon-Rizza (from about 2006 until her death in 2014) and David Grubb (appointed January 2, 2018).