City of Melrose Publishes Ballot Question FAQ
The Office of Mayor Paul Brodeur encourages residents to read the recently published Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) regarding the Prop. 2 ½ debt exclusion question that will be on the November 7, 2023, election ballot. If passed by the voters, the debt exclusion would allow the City to borrow up to $130 million to renovate and replace the City’s four public safety buildings.
Consistent with state law, the FAQ document has been designed to provide the public with balanced and comprehensive information on the debt exclusion ballot question. It includes estimates on the impact to property taxes as well as information on debt exclusion requirements and procedures drawn from publications of the Massachusetts Department of Revenue. For more information about Prop. 2 ½ debt exclusions, please visit Mass.gov.
About the Debt Exclusion Ballot Question
On September 5, 2023, the Melrose City Council unanimously passed an order to place the following question before the voters of Melrose:
Shall the City of Melrose be allowed to exempt from the provisions of proposition two and one-half, so-called, the amounts required to pay for the bonds issued in order to pay costs for design, engineering, construction, site improvements, equipping, and furnishing of a renovated Melrose Central Fire Station, a new Melrose Highlands Fire Station, a new Melrose East Side Fire Station, and a new Melrose Police Station, and all other costs incidental and related thereto? Yes__No__
On September 7, 2023, Mayor Paul Brodeur signed this order, allowing the debt exclusion question to be placed on the November 7, 2023, election ballot.
About the Public Safety Buildings Project
Information on the proposed project to renovate and replace the City’s four public safety buildings that would be funded through this debt exclusion is available on the City’s website. This includes the final report of the Melrose Public Safety Buildings Committee presented to the Mayor and City Council in July 2023. The report contains the committee's review of the 2017 feasibility study, an assessment of needs and proposed solutions for all four public safety buildings, proposed project sequencing and construction phasing, as well as preliminary cost estimates.
About the Melrose Public Safety Buildings Committee
Mayor Brodeur re-established the Melrose Public Safety Building Committee in 2021 to develop recommendations for these buildings. The PSBC initiated its effort by reviewing the previous feasibility study completed in 2017. In 2022, the Melrose City Council approved $68,500 to fund the cost of hiring an architectural firm to complete pre-design services to inform this effort. The PSBC held over 12 preliminary design meetings with the architects and hosted two open houses and two public learning sessions that can be viewed online at www.melrosepsb.org. PSBC has completed its work and is no longer active. For more information, please visit www.cityofmelrose.org/mayor/melrose-public-safety-buildings-committee