Three towns vote on property taxes Tuesday

Voters in three towns go to the polls today to consider property tax increases to pay for schools and other city services.

Franklin, Winthrop and Holbrook all have Prop 2 1/2 override questions before voters, in a season of mixed results on propossed property tax increases.

On Monday, voters in Belmont rejected a $2.5-million override and voters in Upton rejected a $486,000 tax increase. An unofficial count shows that voters in 17 communities approved overrides this year, while similar initiatives failed in 17.

Today in Franklin, voters will consider a $2.8-million property tax override that town officials say would save 43 teaching positions and forestall a $100 increase in the pay-to-ride bus fee. Franklin officials have calculated that the override would add about $244 to the average property tax bill.

Holbrook, meantime, today will consider three override options. The three questions seek about $395,000 for schools, $357,000 for the library, and $61,000 for the Council on Aging.

Voters in Winthrop will consider a $1.55-million property tax override that would increase the average tax bill $252.

Winthrop has passed two debt exclusions - temporary tax increases to repay borrowing - one to build two elementary schools, and the other for school repairs, according to Thomas E. Reilly, Town Council president. But it has passed an override only once, for $2.5 million to fund operating expenses in 2001. Overrides were defeated in 2000, in 2003, and 2004, when two were defeated.