Schools, Wastewater overrides clear Ipswich elections
May 17—IPSWICH — Jennifer Donahue and Dianna Freehan held signs supporting their unopposed bids for School Committee along the entrance to the Ipswich Family YMCA during Tuesday's elections, in part to keep their names active around town.
Alongside their own signs were others calling for passage of Question 2, an override of Proposition 2 1/2 tax limits that will level-fund this year's school budget after the ballot vote passed 1312 votes to 876, a 60% margin.
They weren't the only ones backing Question 2, of course.
"I have three kids who went through the Ipswich Public Schools system," said resident Amy Fanning. "I believe in supporting the school system"
Fanning also backed Question 1, a debt-exclusion override that will provide $6 million to overhaul and retrofit the Wastewater Treatment Plant. Everything else on the ballot, on the other hand...
"There was nothing to vote on," Fanning said, laughing. "It was like, 'elect two,' 'vote two.'"
Both overrides passed, with the wastewater spending article clearing 1,626 to 506 — a 76% margin. Tuesday's voting also saw the re-elections of Thomas Murphy as moderator and Select Board members Tammy Jones and Kerry Mackin, who finished with 1,501 and 1,519 votes respectively.
For their parts, Donahue and Freehan were elected to the School Committee, both winning their first terms unopposed with 1,465 and 1,447 votes respectively. Murphy earned 1,464 votes to continue as moderator.
Some around town recalled the override talks that moved through Ipswich leading up to 2015 while discussing those approved Tuesday night. Seamus Gallagher, an 18-year-old high school senior who will graduate in just a couple weeks, recalled seeing it play out as a fifth-grader who just wanted to play a string instrument.
Seven years ago, a $2.9 million override saw overwhelming passage — 2,750 in favor, to 1,973 opposed — after a similar effort sank on the ballot by just 62 votes in 2014.
In 2022, the $1.8 million schools override is needed to pay for a "level services" budget, which covers the cost to operate without changes to programs, service cuts, or reductions in staff, according to the town Finance Committee's report for Town Meeting.
Some reading the ballot on Tuesday said they wanted to see a repeat of 2015.
"When I was in fifth grade, if there wasn't an override passed, we would have lost our music program," Gallagher said. "I want the next kids to have the same experiences I had."
Phil Freehan, sign-holding in support of his wife's School Committee bid, recalled the lost battle in 2014 and the cuts that then hit the schools. While calling for passage was one thing, he said he sought to avoid a repeat of 2014's override failure.
"We want to see a high voter turnout," added Dianna Freehan, "especially with the overrides on the ballot."
Not everything on the ballot was about the schools. With the passage of Question 1, the town will now borrow $6 million to retrofit the Wastewater Treatment Plant's aeration system, a critical part of the plant's biological process. Should the system fail, it would "result in raw sewerage discharges that would have catastrophic effects on the health of the river, neighboring bathing beaches, public health, and especially on the shellfish beds/clam flats that are so vital to both industry and commerce in the town of Ipswich," reads the summary in this year's Annual Town Meeting report.
Though it is a Proposition 2 1/2 debt exclusion override, there is no immediate cost to taxpayers, since the costs will be borne by ratepayers. The second question will raise taxes by about 53 cents per $1,000 in property value, both according to the report.
Contact Dustin Luca at 978-338-2523 or DLuca@salemnews.com. Follow him at facebook.com/dustinluca or on Twitter @DustinLucaSN.
Contact Dustin Luca at 978-338-2523 or DLuca@salemnews.com. Follow him at facebook.com/dustinluca or on Twitter @DustinLucaSN.
