Why do voters have three options in November, and what they would do
MELROSE — Earlier this year, Mayor Jen Grigoraitis appointed and convened a Financial Task Force to formulate and propose a Proposition 2 1⁄2 override referendum based on an analysis of the City’s budgetary needs, examples from Melrose’s peer communities, and input from the Melrose public.
Based on this research and preparation, the members of the task force unanimously recommended and the City Council approved, a “tiered” override question, which enables voters to select the level of services they want to support.
Those three options are:
• $9.3 million to stabilize services at the current reduced levels, preventing further job cuts for the next 3-4 budget years,
• $11.9 million to partially restore essential city and school services, reversing several significant recent job and program cuts, or
• $13.5 million to substantially restore essential city and school services and positions and invest in additional infrastructure.
The tiered override gives voters options about how much additional revenue they want to raise, and by extension, where the City should prioritize investments. It’s important to note that only one option will take effect — the highest dollar amount which receives a majority of votes — so the total override amount will not exceed $13.5 million under any circumstances.
What would these three funding levels accomplish for the City?
The attached chart illustrates the City’s priorities for the application of any new revenue raised by a successful override question.
Stay tuned for more “Understanding the Override” notes from City Hall; the next installment will cover the estimated impact of each override option on individual residential taxpayers.
The Proposition 2 1⁄2 override will be placed before voters on the November 4, 2025 municipal election.