$12 Million Winchester Override? Not So Fast

WINCHESTER - Until Monday night, an almost $12 million override question seemed certain for Winchester voters. At public information sessions, first at the high school, then at the Jenks Center, residents seemed resigned to the figure floated by town officials. But back at the high school for a Special Town Meeting, the PowerPoint Parade ran into some opposition. Apparently not everyone liked what they heard.

It actually started before most town meeting members had arrived at the auditorium. The Select Board gathered an hour before town meeting and that's when board member David Errico explained his override proposal, one he had been working on with Town Manager Lisa Wong. Errico called his a "middle of the road override" that asked for $7.75 million in addition to $2 million for capital funds. He said his proposal "protects the high standards we have in Winchester" while also allowing seniors, those on fixed income, and working families to be able to afford to live in Winchester.

Errico's proposal creates a four-year financial plan. It gives schools a 7.5 percent increase over the FY19 budget and assures no use of the town's dwindling free cash account in FY20 and 21.

Select Board chair Lance Grenzeback once again took the lead as the town meeting started and except for the presence of Town Moderator Peter Haley it had much the same feel, and the same PowerPoint, as previous information sessions.

Grenzeback again said property tax revenues can only go up 2.5 percent, but expenses were climbing at about 5 percent. It's been 10 years since the town's last override in 2008 and the days of dipping into town reserves to fill the budget shortfall will soon be over. The town was looking at laying off teachers, fire fighters, police, and either delaying or eliminating capital projects and repairs across town. It's a bleak picture and one that can only be solved with approximately $10 million extra for the operating budget, $2 million for capital. Members of the Finance Committee presented their own PowerPoint and came to the same conclusions.

But then it was Errico's turn to make the pitch for his "Middle of the Road" override of $9.75 million. He was followed by town meeting member and former chair of the Finance Committee Michelle Prior. She proposed a $5 million override while revisiting the need for future overrides in 2022-23. She questioned the assumption that Winchester school enrollments were growing and wondered why the town would ask for the second largest override in state history. If passed, she said only Newton's $11.4 million operating override in 2013 would be higher.

Errico and Prior weren't alone. The status of the Lynch and Muraco elementary schools were also brought up. Officials were asked if residents were going to be hit with the bill to replace those schools in the near future. The town has applied to the Massachusetts School Building Authority the last two years for help in dealing with Lynch and Muraco but the MSBA has said no so far. Winchester will try again this year and officials hope the two schools can hang in there until the MSBA says yes. Even then, the town will have to pay part of the costs.

Speaking of future costs, Errico applauded the efforts of Wong, as well as members of the Select Board and the Finance Committee for their work on the budget. Then he said when it's all finally done – some time Friday – he's heading straight to the Black Horse Tavern.

"Drinks are on me," Errico said.

Photo by Bob Holmes