SAUGUS — Residents will get to have their say on Jan. 25 at a special election regarding the funding of a new Northeast Metropolitan Regional Vocational High School (Northeast Metro Tech) with a debt exclusion.
The special election comes on the heels of Town Meeting members voting against funding the school during a special session in October. This was the result of the Board of Selectmen decision, with Selectman Debra Panetta making the motion for the issue to go before Town Meeting.
The town is already committed to the project, but the source of the funding is what will be voted on. Should residents choose not to use the debt exclusion, the funds would have to come out of the town’s operational budget.
Panetta noted that Saugus wasn’t the only community to trigger the special election. Chelsea also forced the January vote.
The concerns regarding the project involve the price tag. At the beginning of talks surrounding the new school, it was estimated that the project would cost $175 million. The project is now estimated to cost more than $300 million.
“We’re not looking for a new school because we want shiny rooms and to be able to tell people ‘look how great this is,’” Northeast Metro Tech Superintendent David DiBarri said in October. “Our building is coming to an end.”
The vice chair of the Board of Selectmen stressed that the will of the people will be heard and they will be the ones to make the decision.
“Either way we have to pay for it,” said Panetta. “It is what it is.”
Panetta said it is important for voters to educate themselves on what they will be voting for. She also said that people need to understand what their vote represents before going to the polls.
“It’s up to the people what they want to do,” Panetta said.
