NAHANT — Voters will head to the polls on June 24 to determine if a proposed $1 million Proposition 2½ operating override will pay for new full-time firefighters, a school department position, and raises for town staff.
Following a 175-33 vote at the May 16 Town Meeting, this override has been sent to the ballot for voting.
There will be two questions on the ballot during the June special election. The first is “Shall the Town of Nahant be allowed to assess an additional $1,000,000 in real estate and personal property taxes for the purpose of funding the operating budgets of the Town and Public Schools for the fiscal year beginning July 1, 2026?” according to Nahant’s website.
The second question is “Shall the Town of Nahant approve the charter amendment proposed by the 2026 Annual Town Meeting to change the posting of the Annual Town Meeting Warrant from fourteen (14) days to seven (7) days?” according to Nahant’s website.
If the override passes, taxes in town will increase by more than 2½% which, “based on a median single-family house value of $888,000, the average tax bill will go up by about $600,” Town Administrator Alison Nieto said.
Town officials have created a webpage accessible through the town’s website, nahant.org, with more information regarding the ballot.
“Everybody can come and vote on it, which is why I’m really trying to get the word out there that people should come out and vote, because it really does — their vote makes the difference,” Nieto said.
Nieto said if approved, the override will pay for four full-time firefighters and a new English language arts/math specialist in the school department. It will also fund benefits for those positions.
Also in the school department, the override will allow for an increase in the professional development budget.
Additionally, as part of the override, the salaries of five non-union, non-contract town employees will be adjusted to market rates. It will also provide an increase of $0.50 per hour in part-time salaries for Council on Aging, Library, and Public Works staff, according to Nahant’s website.
The override will also allow department utility budgets to increase by 4%. It will also transfer $56,000 to the Town’s stabilization fund.
If the override passes, the town’s debt payments will increase by $48,243.
If the override does not pass on June 24, the town will operate on a level-funded budget, Nieto said.
“Then obviously we can’t hire those full-time employees, and the operating budgets for departments — they’re just very tight, there’s no room to absorb any kind of out-of-the-ordinary expenses. We’re budgeting very, very minimally,” Nieto said.
Polls will open at 7 a.m. at Nahant Town Hall.
