Focusing on young voters
Tax hike's backers tap Facebook links
In an election that some say could be decided by just a few votes, supporters of a ballot question in Belmont to build a new Wellington Elementary School are reaching out to group not traditionally involved in local elections - high school students and recent graduates.
Using networking sites like Facebook and Twitter, members of Together for Wellington are targeting newly registered voters who still feel a connection to the elementary school and were energized by last year's presidential election.
"We're feeling good about Wellington's chances, but I think it's certainly not a stretch to say every vote is going to count," said School Committee member Paul Roberts, who is volunteering to support the Wellington effort. "If we can get even a couple dozen students, it could absolutely be the difference."
Jacob Scharfman, a Belmont High School senior, said some students are planning to vote together the morning of the election, June 8. Seniors graduate the day before, next Sunday, and are holding an all-night party that will end at 5 a.m. Scharfman said they plan to stay up all night, go out for a pancake breakfast, then vote.
"Our elementary school students deserve a new building," said Scharfman, who went to Wellington. "I'm willing to pay for it."
The election will include a ballot question that asks voters to raise property taxes to cover the town's share of the $40 million project to replace the school, which has sections dating to 1892. The state has committed $12.4 million, and the town would be responsible for the remaining $27.6 million.
The issue will first go before Town Meeting, with a vote expected during Wednesday's session on whether to appropriate the tax money if the Proposition 2 1/2 override on the ballot passes.
Paying off the construction loan would add $375 to the annual taxes on the average home in town, officials say. The estimate is based on Belmont's average assessed value for a single-family home, $753,000, and its $8,951 property-tax bill.
If voters reject the proposed debt-exclusion override, officials say, the town would lose the Massachusetts School Building Authority reimbursement.
Belmont officials say there appears to be widespread support for the new school, but recent history shows that no tax-increase proposal is a sure thing.
Residents rejected the most recent request, a proposal last June to raise taxes for road improvements. It lost by 333 votes.
Resident Nancy Oteri said it's not a good time to ask residents for more money. She also questions the need for a new school, especially one the size proposed as Wellington's replacement.
Oteri said her parents, like many others, moved to Belmont for the school system. But she said the families came for the teachers, not the buildings.
"I don't understand what people think they really need now," Oteri said.
Laurie Slap, cochairwoman of Together for Wellington, said the plans have been scaled back over the past few months, and noted that state officials have made it clear that the project must be cost-effective.
She said the town will get the most for its dollar by approving the project now because the state is contributing funds, interest rates are low, and construction prices are down.
"The need for a new school is not going to go away, but the state funds will disappear," Slap said.
In an effort to reach out to as many potential voters as possible, Roberts, who works in the technology field, was picked to find the younger votes.
He started encouraging students to register in time for the election, and then tried to convince them to spread the word and vote for the new school.
He said Facebook was the obvious way to reach out to the 18-year-olds, potential voters who have been difficult to connect with in the past.
"The amazing thing about Facebook is everybody is there - almost the entire class is using it," Roberts said. "It makes it easy and seamless to reach out to them."
He set up a Facebook group and immediately started inviting Belmont High School students and graduates to join. He encouraged them to send invites to friends, and suddenly the group grew to 290 names.
But Roberts is under no illusion that a large number of "friends" on Facebook will translate to numbers at the polls. He said it's merely a tool to raise awareness and get youths involved. The hard part will be making sure they vote.
"We know we've reached them - can we get them to turn out?" Roberts asked.
Ben Schreckinger, a Belmont High graduate last spring, said he was in the middle of his college finals when Roberts first "friended" him and asked him to spread the word. But Schreckinger said Facebook is so easy to use, it took him just 10 minutes to send out invites and double the size of the Facebook group.
Schreckinger, whose mother is on the School Committee, said he plans to follow up with phone calls and face-to-face discussions with friends.
"Facebook itself isn't going to get more votes," Schreckinger said. "It's going to raise awareness so it's on the radar screen, so that when you start making calls it will be in their head. It's definitely a piece of the puzzle."
Schreckinger said his friends aren't "fired up" about the vote, but many are interested in participating in the election to help the younger generation.
"I went to the Wellington and I think education in Belmont is really important," he said.
"It's sort of a defining feature of our community."
Jennifer Fenn Lefferts can be reached at jflefferts@yahoo.com. 