Manchester Voters Cinch Major Capital Spending

Manchester voters strongly backed all of the town’s major infrastructure and capital spending questions on Tuesday, approving a large package of water, harbor, resiliency, roadway, and public facilities projects.

All the items had already passed at last month’s Annual Town Meeting and, because of a town bylaw requiring that expenditures over $1 million be ratified at the ballot, they had to be approved at Tuesday’s election to be ratified.

The big item on the ballot—a $16.5 million PFAS drinking water treatment project at the Lincoln Street well—passed comfortably, with Ballot Question 1 approved (377 to 68).  The project will construct a new treatment facility designed to bring Manchester into compliance with emerging state and federal PFAS regulations tied to “forever chemicals” in public drinking water.

Voters also approved nearly every other capital request tied to Annual Town Meeting actions last month, including:

• Manchester Harbor dredging and resiliency projects,
• preservation and elevation of the historic Tuck’s Point Rotunda,
• road and utility upgrades on Tappan Street, and
• improvements tied to harbor infrastructure and ADA accessibility.

The strongest support among the borrowing questions came for a new ADA-compliant restroom at the Manchester Public Library (363 to 78).  The bathroom in the historic building had been a perennial ask by the Friends of Manchester Public Library.  Meanwhile, several harbor and infrastructure questions passed by narrower—but still decisive—margins.  The town presented harbor projects together in hopes of securing efficiencies by bidding a larger RFP to bidders.  

Also passing comfortably (356 to 81) was Question 3 to support a financial backstop to fund reconstruction of the historic culvert at Central Street.  The culvert is the only secondary access point for Cape Ann’s regional electrical line.  The $5 million in borrowing power approved by voters is not expected to be tapped.  The town was awarded a $5 million federal FEMA grant that has been in limbo since 2025 due to cuts by “DOGE” (a.k.a., US Dept. of Government Efficiency) but since the grant was already approved and appropriated by the US Congress in 2024, before the current administration, the cut is in the process of being reversed.  Also, a second back-up state grant tied to regional electrical supply infrastructure needs has been submitted in partnership with Rockport, Gloucester, and Essex.

All races for elected office were uncontested.  Winners included:

• Eli G. Boling, Moderator
• Ann Ward Harrison and John Jay Round, Select Board
• Christopher Gillpatrick Olney and John GC Harden, Planning Board
• David Kenny Lumsden, Library Trustee
• Sarah Ann Stone, School Committee
• Brian Alexander Frey, Housing Authority (2-year term)

No candidate emerged for one open five-year Housing Authority seat, which drew only write-in votes.