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

[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