MELROSE, MA — The Melrose Proposition 2 1/2 override vote has passed, according to unofficial results Tuesday night. The vote means taxpayers will be paying an additional $5.18 million in real estate and personal property taxes to bridge a wide gap in the upcoming school budget. The vote comes after a 2015 override effort for less than half the amount of money was defeated by a 2-to-1 margin.

Unofficial tallies Tuesday night had the "Yes" side winning, 6,079–4,875. More than three years after every ward voted against an override, only Ward 6-2 voted against. The full unofficial results can be found below Several red "Vote Yes" signs and a black "Vote No" sign lingered around the intersection at City Hall as polls closed at 8 p.m. As soon as unofficial results started to trickle in, it looked like the "Yes" votes would carry across the city. That was soon confirmed by City Hall.

"It came down to two choices: Support the override or live with the cuts in city and school services," Mayor Gail Infurna said in a statement. Subscribe to Melrose Patch for up-to-date results from the override vote and the fallout from the vote, and like us on Facebook to get in on the conversation!



It all came down to one question at the polls Tuesday: Yes or No? Months of discussions, letters and rhetoric (don't forget the signs) came to a head when voters decide whether to accept the Proposition 2 1/2 override in a vote both sides said would shape the future of Melrose — for better or worse.

The "Yes" vote netted $5.18 million in property tax for what city officials insist is a school budget stretched beyond its limit due to a loss of revenue and a sharp increase in student population, among other things. A "No" vote would have limited an increase in the city's property tax to 2.5 percent, something opponents dubious of the city's narrative say would force Melrose to bear the burden of financial accountability.

"The voters of Melrose have made a wise and fiscally prudent decision to invest in our community and in our schools," School Committee Chairman Ed O'Connell said in a statement. "The funds generated by the property tax override will stabilize city finances and afford our school district the resources needed to support our students, faculty, and staff. In an era of declining state aid and ever-increasing systemic expenses, Melrose looked to the only option available and made the smart choice to override the property tax cap imposed by Prop. 2½."

Here are the unofficial results, according to the City Clerk's office. The votes are Yes/No:

Ward 1, Precinct 1 565/339

Ward 1, Precinct 2 432/348

Ward 2, Precinct 1 572/432

Ward 2, Precinct 2 376/336

Ward 3, Precinct 1 496/294

Ward 3, Precinct 2 375/307

Ward 4, Precinct 1 383/266

Ward 4, Precinct 2 590/439

Ward 5, Precinct 1 319/309

Ward 5, Precinct 2 333/256

Ward 6, Precinct 1 337/297

Ward 6, Precinct 2 449/477

Ward 7, Precinct 1 384/350

Ward 7, Precinct 2 468/425 The Board of Aldermen in November approved Infurna's request for Tuesday's special election, featuring the ballot question asking for the $5.18 million override. The question reads as follows:

Shall the City of Melrose be allowed to assess an additional $5,180,000 in real estate and personal property taxes for the purposes of the general operation of the Melrose Public Schools for Additional Classroom Teachers and Staff ($1,905,000); Classroom and Infrastructure Needs ($675,000); Supplementing the Operating Budget of the Public Schools ($750,000); and for Classroom Teacher and Other District Staff Compensation ($1,850,000), for which the monies from this assessment will be used for the fiscal year beginning July 1, 2019. The city said the override would cost $554 per year in additional property taxes for the average Melrose single-family residence, which has an assessed value of $538,000.