It’s Election Day on Saturday!
Wait, what? In October? What’s on the ballot? Mayor? Dog catcher? 3rd Viceroy to the Premier?
It’s just a one question election for Abington residents: do they want to temporarily raise property taxes to pay for a $38.5 million fire station/ public works complex?
Town Meeting overwhelmingly approved the project and spending the money last Saturday. However, under Proposition 2 1/2, the state law that limits the size of annual property tax hikes, voters still have to approve the tax hike required to pay for the project. It’s called a debt exclusion override, and unlike an operating override, the tax increase automatically comes off the books once the bond is paid off.
Abington last approved a debt exclusion override in 2014 to pay for the new Middle/ High School. That tax hike passed easily, 2,820 – 595.
In fact Abington has a long history of approving debt exclusion overrides. Since 1980, Abington voters have been asked to temporarily raise their taxes 26 times to pay for a variety of projects: buying Strawberry Valley Golf Course, Griffins Dairy, and the Senior Center; installing a townwide sewer system; building a new police station and library; repairs at the town’s schools.
Only twice have voters said “No” and both negative votes came in 2004. The projects? Facility improvements at the schools and senior center.
(Abington voters have been more skeptical about operational overrides, which is a permanent tax increase, approving three out of five since 1980.)
A calculator set up by proponents of the fire station and DPW project estimates a $500,000 home will see their property taxes raised by about $380.
Town officials say the projects are desperately needed: the two fire stations and public works buildings are decades old, outdated, unsafe, and undersized. The new central fire station and public works buildings will make it easier to maintain fire engines and ambulances, centralize emergency response operations on Central Street, and share infrastructure.
But some residents are feeling the burden of skyrocketing home values, which also drag up tax bills. As we reported last week, the average residential tax bill in Abington has grown 41% since 2015. That includes the cost of the new Middle/High School. But over that same time, the actual tax rate itself has dropped from $17/$1,000 of valuation to $14.21. And over the past five years, while assessed home values have grown by billions, commercial property assessments have actually slightly shrunk.
Polls will be open Saturday from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. All voting takes place at the Beaver Brook Elementary School. Early voting is underway during business hours at the Town Clerk’s Office.
GREEN WAVE ATHLETICS
| Cross Country Varsity Boys Tuesday, 4 p.m., @ Norwell High School Varsity Girls Tuesday, 4 p.m., @ Norwell High School Golf Varsity Monday, 3 p.m., vs. Middleborough High School Tuesday, 3:30 p.m., vs. Rockland High School Wednesday, 3:30 p.m., vs. Sandwich Middle/High School Junior Varsity No Matches Football Varsity Friday, 7 p.m., @ East Bridgewater Jr./Sr. High School Junior Varsity Monday, 4 p.m., @ Rockland High School Freshman Thursday, 4 p.m., vs. Cohasset High School Boys Soccer Varsity Friday, 4 p.m., @ Mashpee Middle/High School Saturday, 1 p.m., @ West Bridgewater Middle/Sr. High School Junior Varsity Friday, 4 p.m., @ Mashpee Middle/High School Saturday, 3 p.m., @ West Bridgewater Middle/Sr. High School Girls Soccer Varsity Wednesday, 4 p.m., @ Carver Middle/High School Friday, 4 p.m., vs. Mashpee Middle/High School Saturday, 9 am, @ West Bridgewater Middle/Sr. High School Junior Varsity Wednesday, 4:30 p.m., @ Notre Dame Academy Friday, 4 p.m., vs. Mashpee Middle/High School Saturday, 11 am, @ West Bridgewater Middle/Sr. High School Volleyball Varsity Tuesday, 5:45 p.m., vs. Carver Middle/High School Thursday, 5 p.m., vs. Whitman Hanson Regional High School Friday, 5:15 p.m., vs. Mashpee Middle/High School Junior Varsity Tuesday, 4:30 p.m., vs. Carver Middle/High School Thursday, 3:30 p.m., vs. Whitman Hanson Regional High School Friday, 4 p.m., vs. Mashpee Middle/High School Freshmen Thursday, 3:30 p.m., vs. Whitman Hanson Regional High School Friday, 4 p.m., vs. Mashpee Middle/High School (FOR THE MOST UPDATED GAMES AND SCORES, PLEASE CHECK ARBITER LIVE SPORT |
MEETING SCHEDULE
MONDAY
Opioid Settlement Fund Committee, 3 p.m., Town Hall. Agenda includes followup discussion on the Special Town Meeting and decided where to place paper copies of the grant application.
Board of Health, 6 p.m., Town Hall. Agenda includes a public hearing on proposed changes to regulations governing the sale of tobacco and workplace smoking.
Library Board of Trustees, 7 p.m., Library. Agenda includes a report from the director, updates on capital needs and upcoming programs.
TUESDAY
Trustees of Veterans Memorials, 2 p.m., American Legion. Agenda includes discussion about flags on street signs, the Gliniewicz Way sign, Abington’s 43, and Memorial Field updates.
Affordable Housing Trust Fund Committee, 6:30 p.m., Town Hall. Agenda includes CPA funding requests, consideration of possible building sites for South Shore Habitat for Humanity, and the draft action plan.
Community Preservation Committee, 7 p.m., Town Hall. Agenda includes a review of FY 25 projects and an update on past projects.
WEDNESDAY
Council on Aging, 3:30 p.m., Senior Center. Agenda includes the October director’s report
Housing Authority, 6 p.m., 71 Shaw Avenue. Agenda includes discussion about the FY 23 audit, and a report from the COO.
VSO Advisory Committee, 6:30 p.m., Town Hall. Agenda includes a discussion about this year’s Veterans Day Celebration.
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