Prop 2½ override coming to Somerville this November?

[gruene.livejournal.com]

I received a telephone survey this afternoon regarding a potential ballot question this fall that would raise property taxes to pay for the new Somerville High School. This is the first I'd heard that a so-called "Prop 2½ override" was being considered, which, I believe, would be the first such vote in Somerville's history. Does anyone have more information about this?

Background on the new school here: http://www.somervillema.gov/highschool/

Comments

[ron_newman]

Yes, there was some promotion of this at ArtBeat yesterday.

[gruene.livejournal.com]

Promotion of the new high school or of the tax override?

[ron_newman]

I'd say both, as they go together.

[vonelftinhaus.livejournal.com]

I know citizens pay taxes that go towards schools, regardless of having children, but is this common for a city to impose another tax to specifically fund a new school?

[gruene.livejournal.com]

It's extremely common in the suburbs, but much rarer in urban areas. Boston, Cambridge and Somerville have never had a vote like this as far as I know.

I suspect that's largely due to the intricacies of municipal finance that I do not thoroughly understand. The need to vote on property tax increases comes from a law passed by the voters in the early 80s. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Proposition_2%C2%BD

[madrigal.livejournal.com]

Arlington passed something similar in June - http://arlington.wickedlocal.com/news/20160614/arlington-debt-exclusions-pass-in-landslide

[jlauspitz.livejournal.com]

Arlington had three project-specific ballot questions, all of which passed. I wonder whether in addition to the Somerville High School bonding exclusion there will be a second ballot question on the City's $50 million commitment to the Green Line Extension.

[fefie.livejournal.com]

I've been wondering about this myself, Somerville's $50 million "commitment" for GLX.