Election Shakeup in Essex as Manchester Voters Eye Capital Questions

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As Manchester voters prepare to weigh ballot questions for PFAS drinking water upgrades, harbor projects, infrastructure spending, and school funding next week, Essex voters on Monday delivered a clear message of their own, approving two Proposition 2½ overrides while simultaneously removing a sitting Board of Selectmen chair for the second straight year.  Spring budget and election season, it seems, has fully arrived.  Let’s get started …

Last year, voters ousted then-BOS chair Ruth Pereen in favor of challenger Ann Cameron.

The result suggests continued voter appetite for change as Essex faces challenges in municipal spending and long-term planning.

Speaking of spending, Essex voters also approved two Proposition 2½ override questions tied to the FY27 budget cycle that were passed by Annual Town Meeting voters on May 4.  In order to be ratified, Prop 2½ overrides must pass both at town meeting and then at the ballot.  Question 1 seeking a $268,722 supplement for the Town of Essex operating budget passed (438 to 301).  Question 2—a $185,727 override supporting Essex’s assessment for the Manchester Essex Regional School District budget—passed by a wider margin (460 to 287).

• Sally Ann Rich, Board of Assessors (2-year unexpired term)
• Stephen A. Poulos, Board of Assessors
• Jeffrey D. Jones, Moderator
• William J.S. Knovak and Robert P. Bradley, Constable
• Theresa Lee Whitman, Manchester Essex Regional School Committee
• Ginger Mae Driscoll, Board of Library Trustees
• Shelly Bradbury, Planning Board
• David Marks Driscoll, Board of Health

In all, 759 voters, or roughly 25 percent of Essex’s 3,042 registered voters turned out on Monday.

Manchester’s ballot contains 11 questions, most of them paired Prop 2½ debt-exclusion votes tied to projects already approved by Annual Town Meeting voters late last month. 

Why so many ballot questions?  Well, first, in Manchester, a special act adopted in the 90s requires ballot approval for spending on any project above $1 million, and it must pass by a 2/3 majority.  Then, of course, the state requires Prop 2½ overrides that must secure approval both at ATM and at the ballot.  That means Manchester voters will see two ballot questions for each of the proposed capital projects over that $1 million mark.

So, onto the questions.  The largest item on the ballot is a proposed $16.5 million to construct a new treatment facility at the Lincoln Street well, which supplies roughly 40% of Manchester’s drinking water.  

The project would bring Manchester into compliance with new state and federal drinking water mandates expected by 2029 targeting PFAS contaminants, often referred to as “forever chemicals.”  Once approved, construction could
begin this fall and take approximately 18 months.  When introducing the project to voters last month, FinCom Chair Sarah Mellish urged approval, saying, “when it comes to public drinking water,” the time to act is now.

Also, this project has been accepted by the Mass. Dept. of Environmental Protection (DEP) which makes it eligible this year for the state-backed long-term, low-interest loans and maybe even debt forgiveness, according to Town Administrator Tony Barletta.  As part of that program, the project benefits from millions in interest payment savings.  Later approval may not get that benefit.

Another major ballot item centers on replacement of the aging Central Street culvert, a longstanding resiliency and flooding concern tied to Cape Ann’s electrical infrastructure grid, transportation access, and habitat impacts.  This measure seeks $5 million in borrowing authorization, although it’s not expected to be necessary since the it’s technically a stopgap in case two funding other sources—an anticipated FEMA BRIC grant approved in 2024 and then paused by federal government last year, and a separate Massachusetts MVP grant—don’t materialize. 

Harbor-related projects also feature prominently on Tuesday’s ballot.  Voters are being asked to approve matching funds tied to a grant-funded maintenance dredging project near Proctor Cove, needed to maintain safe navigation at the harbor entrance. 

Then, separate ballot questions related to preservation of the historic Tuck’s Point Rotunda—including elevation of the structure, ADA accessibility upgrades, and resiliency improvements tied to sea-level rise—were packaged alongside the town’s grant-funded Morss Pier renovation and Reed Park float expansion projects.  By doing this, the town will be able to bundle the harbor work for bidding under a single contract, which should drive savings on the cost.

If approved, the harbor-related borrowing would add about $73 annually to the tax bill of a $1 million home.  Combined with the outside grant funding attached to the projects, the work would result in roughly $7.5 million in harbor-related capital improvements.

The ballot also includes a $4.1 million proposal for Tappan Street infrastructure improvements, including replacement of aging water and sewer infrastructure, roadway reconstruction, sidewalks, drainage, and lighting upgrades. 

The final ballot question asks voters to approve a $250,000 capital exclusion to construct an ADA-compliant bathroom at the Manchester Public Library, addressing a longstanding accessibility issue in the historic building. 

Last month, town officials published estimated tax impacts for each project using a modeled $1 million home valuation.  Depending on the project and bond term, annual impacts generally range from several dozen dollars annually to several hundred dollars for the largest infrastructure projects.

According to a notice filed with the U.S. Coast Guard, the MBTA plans to replace three floating shafts and related mechanical components on the bascule bridge.  During work hours, a construction barge will partially occupy the navigational channel while the drawbridge itself will be “out of operation” throughout the repair period.

The work was expected, but the exact timing caught local officials off guard.  According to town and harbor sources, the maintenance schedule was determined by the MBTA without advance coordination with Manchester officials or the Harbormaster’s office, despite the timing coinciding with the beginning of the
boating season and impacting vessels moored inside the bridge.  The Coast Guard filing notes that small vessels may still be able to transit the channel during work operations if the barge can be repositioned with 60 minutes’ notice.