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Belmont voters passed a $4.5 million Proposition 2 1/2 override that will secure long-term level funding and help with road repair.
The measure passed, 4,728 to 3,818, according to the Belmont Town Clerk’s office
In the race for Selectman, Andy Rojas lost a chance for a second three-year term as first-time challenger Jim Williams of Glenn Road defeated the incumbent by nearly 500 votes, 4,047 to 3,528.
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I suppose passage of the override is good for the schools and the town as long as the money is spent wisely, which is very unlikely. Next we’ll see just how willing Belmont taxpayers are going to be to fund a new high school, police station, town yard, etc. And the library may as well bow out because that is not going to happen.
by then there will be no one living in town Andrea…who could afford it?
The HAVES and the HAVE NOTS.
You got that right Sammi. My fear is that the HAVES will get exactly what they need out of the town and then move on once their kids are out of the school system. The HAVE NOTS will be left to either sell their houses due to the over-the-top property taxes or work well into their retirement years in order to afford those taxes.
A good example of this is residents who live here with Green Cards. In some towns, they are allowed to vote (Brookline, to name one). So they vote for huge overrides, then move back to their home countries when their Green Cards expire. Overrides are “forever” but they don’t care about that because they won’t be living in Brookline when the next bill comes due.
Don’t get me wrong – we need to support our schools, but we also have a moral obligation to consider those among us who cannot afford their share of a $4.5 million tax bill on top of what they’re already struggling to afford. Some people are selfish. All they care about is their own family. They don’t consider others who may not be in a position to add another mortgage payment to their budget.
I agree with you. In the very near future, we’re going to have to go to the voters for millions of dollars in debt exclusions for the high school, police station, etc. I’m not sure how willing people are going to be to add another mortgage payment or two to their budgets.
Can’t wait till none of this money goes to were they said it would and it all goes to fund the unfounded pensions….
Tyler, the Belmont budget has to be approved by Town Meeting. As a Town Meeting Member, I will not vote for a budget that isn’t consistent with the override we just passed. If you’re a TMM too (and even if you’re not), make sure you go to the budget hearings in late May to make sure the budget is done right. And If you’re not a TMM, let your precinct’s TMMs know how you feel and consider running yourself next year if you don’t like what they’re doing on your behalf.
Well said, Paul!
I agree. I was hoping that the extra override funding was going to be directed to education, i.e. language classes, teachers, school libraries. I hope I was not mistaken.
My child is not in the public school system but a strong school system benefits the town of Belmont as a whole. To have a town government that invests in families keeps families invested. It makes it a nice place to live which makes it a great place to buy a home (now or in a decade.) Ultimately, as a family-oriented community, we are here for our kids. Otherwise, why would we put up with the ridiculous downtown traffic, the antiquated parking, the property taxes?