Newton voters will be asked to approve a $12 million override in May

Newton voters will be asked to approve a $12 million property tax override of Proposition 2 1/2 on May 20.

The final override figure is significantly smaller than the $23.9 million proposed override put forward (and later withdrawn) by Mayor David B. Cohen and smaller than a subsequent $14.9 million figure suggested by board members Ted Hess-Mahan and Susan Albright.

Both earlier figures were criticized by various aldermen as being too high for the city's voters to stomach. The board approved the $12 million amount after several hours of debate Monday night.

The override measure will be the only question on the ballot. The board voted down a bid by members William Brandel and Amy Sangiolo to ask voters to pay for the $197.5 million Newton North High School project through a debt exclusion override.

-- Rachana Rathi