Recount affirms Walpole vote for library tax increase
By Christine Legere
Globe Correspondent
It was definitely a cliff-hanger, but a hand tally of over 5,000 election ballots on Monday night essentially supported the result of a machine count done on the June 6 election day:
A $6.2 million override to build a new public library had passed. The hand count results were 2,775 in favor and 2,767 opposed: The margin of victory was eight votes. During the June 6 election, the override proposal had passed by 10 votes. A team of 10 election workers spent four hours counting the ballots, said Town Clerk Ron Fucile. A sprinkling of interested townspeople had turned out as well.
“It was a fantastic amount of work, but democracy reigned,” Fucile said. While he had originally estimated the recount’s cost at about $3,000, Fucile now expects it will be higher when all bills are in. Paul Cesary, chairman of the Board of Library Trustees, said, now that the override’s victory has been confirmed, selectmen may sign a contract with the Mass. Board of Library Commissioners for $3.9 million in promised grant money. “We should get the first payment of about $1.3 million within a month,” Cesary said. “Then we’ll have money in hand to hire a project manager and get detailed construction plans drawn.”
The new library’s projected cost is $11.2 million. Fundraising has provided more than $1 million for the cause, with the rest coming from the state grant and the $6.2 million tax increase.
Cesary predicts ribbon-cutting on the new building is about two years away.
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Apparently Mr. Cesary doesn't like the rules of democracy?
"we all knew it in the first place'. Did you now? You knew you had 8 more votes
in favor? You are a fortune telling warlock genius? You should join the circus.
Protest at the construction site people of Woburn!
Don't be an idiot, GR. He was talking about the recount, not the original election.
Wait until state funding is cut each of the next four years... taxes are raised to pay for the stimulus, cap-and-trade, and other new adventures... in all the tax burden can increase 30% in just the next few years for some. Add to that the new burden of an $11 milion dollar optional library You folks must be rich.
When all these new tax burdens come crashing down on the citizens next year... just remember which officials pushed this tax increase... so you can vote them out next election.
GR, I don't think the citizens of Woburn care too much about the library in Walpole...
GR, I hope the crowd in Woburn doesn't get too unruly. I am not sure what the good people of Woburn will be protesting, but it's probably not a big issue to them that Walpole will be building a new library? By the way, the paid (by local activists) gadfly in town "guaranteed" that the vote would be overtruned by hand recount, so prognostication cuts both ways.
Don't like the taxes? Move out; lower our rents.
Politics and sarcasm aside. Good for the Town of Walpole to have a vision for their community and a willingness to make the investment in their future.
Great job Walpole; you are laying off teachers and firefighters but are buildling a new library which nobody will use.
I applaud the people of Walpole. Having grown up there, the library was one of my favorite places, feeding my love for reading beyond what my parents could afford. Wherever I have lived, the library is a great resource for me. Walpole's library gave me my first job. I know my nieces love their trips to the same library. Not everyone can afford to buy every book they want to read, and still in this age, not everyone has access to the internet.
The FREELOADERS should put tjheir money where theiir loudmouths are and send the tax and spend thieves their OWN money and leave the rest ALONE.THERE IS NO LAW SAYING THESE IDIOTS WHO JUST LOVE TO SPEND OTHER PEOPLES MONEY CAN'T SEND THE THIEVES EVERY DIME THEY CARE TO WASTE.,LET THE USERS PAY! AND PAY! AND PAY!
Libraries will get you through times of no money better than money will get you in times of no libraries.
This library is small but still useful. It is on a relatively small lot with parking for about six non-employee vehicles. The question is really whether or not the residents can afford the increased taxes. With Unemployment headed to 10% and the local foreclosure rate still climbing, who in town will be left to pay for the construction? The state is still in trouble with paying off on our portion of the big dig. Won't this spending in a cash strapped town like Walpole result in a similar dilemma? It may be prudent to wait until the impending economic downturn actually bottoms out. Expanding the soup kitchen may have been a better choice!
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