Andover Special Election Results: Debt Exclusions Pass Easily

ANDOVER, MA — Andover voters approved two debt exclusions by large measures Tuesday in a special town election.

Fewer than one in ten registered voters turned out, but over two-thirds of those who did approved both measures.

Question two, the West Elementary building project, won by a slightly larger margin than question two, issuing pension obligation bonds.

The special election was required to move forward with borrowing projects passed at the Jan. 5 annual town meeting.

Attendees voted to issue of $146-175 million in pension obligation bonds to cover the town's unfunded retirement liabilities and to borrow $114 million for a new Pre-K to Grade 5 school on the site of the current West Elementary School.

The two projects combine to form the "integrated financing plan" proposed by town officials.

The projects will both have a tax impact larger than is usually permitted under the state law Proposition 2½, so they require a majority vote in a special town election.

This story will be updated with results as soon as they are available.

Results

Turnout: 2,299 of 25,537 registered voters (9.00 percent)

Question 1: Pension Obligation Bonds

Question text: Shall the Town of Andover be allowed to exempt from the provisions of proposition two and one-half, so-called, the amounts required to pay for the bond issued in order to fund the unfunded pension liability, so-called, of the retirement system of the Town, and for the payment of all costs incidental or related thereto?

Question 2: West Elementary School and Shawsheen Preschool

Question text: Shall the Town of Andover be allowed to exempt from the provisions of proposition two and one-half, so-called, the amounts required to pay for the bond issued in order to fund the design and construction of a new Pre-K through Grade Five Elementary School with an approximate square footage of 191,000 square feet located at 58 Beacon Street, Andover, Massachusetts inclusive of abatement and demolition of the existing school structures on said property, new parking lots, multi-purpose fields, and all other costs incidental and related thereto?