Hamilton Voters Back Spending for Elementary School Projects

Hamilton voters threw their support behind $3.1 million worth of improvements at two elementary schools in a ballot vote on Thursday.

The questions before voters asked whether they wanted to approve a Proposition 2-1/2 debt exclusion override to fund the work. A debt exclusion override means that the payments toward the bond will be outside the town’s requirement to keep the increases in taxes to 2-1/2 percent or less each year.

The unofficial results from Hamilton Town Clerk Jane Wetson on Thursday evening had 262 votes in favor and 65 opposed to spending $930,000 to replace a boiler at Buker Elementary School.

Voters in Hamilton also backed spending $2.24 million on replacing the heating system and windows at Winthrop Elementary School, also by a 262-65 margin.

Both questions need a majority to pass from a combination of Hamilton and Wenham voters. Voters in Wenham will now go to the polls on Dec. 12 to decide on the same spending measures.

The questions went to voters after Town Meeting gave two-thirds majority support earlier this month in both towns to put it to a ballot vote.

Turnout was 6 percent of Hamilton’s 5,656 registered voters.

The total cost of the work is expected to be reduced by 43 percent with funding by the Massachusetts School Building Authority, making the actual cost of the work $1.8 million for taxpayers in the Hamilton-Wenham Regional School District.