Marblehead to vote on overrides for landfill cleanup

MARBLEHEAD – Marbleheaders will go to the polls Monday to decide the fate of two one-year overrides to pay for pollution monitoring and clean-up connected with the town’s former landfill.Insiders are wondering if the voter turn-out will exceed the 2007 special election, which dealt with landfill issues and brought 18 percent of the voters to the polls. School issues last year brought out 24 percent.Seven weeks ago at the May 4 Town Meeting, voters approved Articles 41 and 42.Both articles were connected with clean-up of pollution from the former town landfill – $127,800 to monitor water and soil quality and $505,000 to remediate property on Stoneybrook Road. Another $242,400 for the monitoring program will be raised as part of the town’s Fiscal 2010 appropriation.The two articles will appear as separate questions on Monday’s special election ballot.Both expenses will be covered by one-time bond issues.Since that method of financing will cost more than the town can raise under Proposition 21/2 restrictions, the questions require override votes. Unlike general overrides, which are permanent, a bonded debt override only lasts for the term of the bond issue. In this case that will be one year.According to a fact sheet prepared by Director of Finance John McGinn and Town Administrator Tony Sasso, Article 41 – $127,600 – will cost an additional 2.4 cents per $1,000 valuation and Article 42 – $505,000 – will cost an additional 9.4 cents per $1,000, for a total of 11.8 cents per $1,000.The owner of a $519,000 median single family home will pay an additional $61.39 in the next year if both questions pass. The owner of a $698,000 average single family home will pay $82.56 more.Voting places will be open from 7 a.m.-8 p.m. Precinct 1 votes at the Old Town House, Precincts 2, 3 and 4 vote at the Star of the Sea Community Center and Precincts 5, 6 and 7 vote at the Marblehead Community Center.