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WE DID IT! THE OVERRIDE PASSED! THANK YOU!
Vote YES on the override to keep the spirit of our community intact!
We Did It! The Override Passed!
Thank you!
We Did It! The Override Passed!
Thank you!
What Is Happening?
What Is Happening?
Due to dramatic cost increases, the Town of Bolton is facing a major budget shortfall in 2025. Without a Proposition 2 1⁄2 override, creating a permanent tax increase, there will be drastic cuts across the board to town programs and services.
We get it - No one wants to pay more taxes
We get it - No one wants to pay more taxes
However, the failure of the override will result in a loss of services which will have a detrimental impact on the fabric of our community. These services are part of what makes Bolton a great, and desirable, place to live. The need for an override will not go away; this is not a need we can simply ignore.
Inflation is far outpacing the Proposition 2 1⁄2 annual increase cap of 2.5%. Even with projected revenue increases from new construction, Bolton will not be able to restore services without passing an override at some point. Once the services are lost, some many never return while others will cost even more to restore than they would to sustain.
Eliminating these services would also make Bolton less attractive to new residents, which would decrease potential future revenue growth - and possibly impact property values for existing residents.
Bolton Public Library
Bolton Public Library
Slashed! The Bolton Public Library will lose over a third of its planned budget, resulting in massive cuts to hours, programs, and staff.
Council On Aging
Council On Aging
Eliminated! The entire Council on Aging budget will be zeroed out, eliminating it completely. This will have a huge impact on Bolton's seniors, who make up roughly 25% of our population, and caregivers.
Parks And Recreation
Parks And Recreation
Eliminated! The Parks and Recreation Commission will be removed from the budget. This will have an enormous impact on summer programs, park and playing field upkeep, town holiday events, and even safety with the loss of lifeguards for the Town Beach.
Other Town Services
Other Town Services
Slashed! Other departments are not immune from cuts. Town Hall Hours will be reduced. The Transfer Station will close. Road improvement funding will be halved. Police, Fire, and Public Works will all see cuts.
How Much Will Our Taxes Increase?
How Much Will Our Taxes Increase?
The proposed override will raise an additional $1,927,105. The Massachusetts Department of Revenue Division Of Local Services, Data Analytics and Resources Bureau has an online calculator specifically for Estimated Impact on Property Taxes with a Prop 2 ½ Referendum Question Approval.
Based on the calculator, the increase comes to $116 per every $100,000 of assessed value. The average single family assessed value in Bolton is currently $820,577, and a home with this value would see an annual real estate tax increase of $951.87. That's roughly $18.31 per week, or $2.61 a day.
Surely our town services are worth $2.61 a day!
Surely our town services are worth $2.61 a day!
Note that this is an average and your personal tax impact will depend on the assessed value of your home. For more information on finding your assessed value and calculating your tax impact, please see the Frequently Asked Questions.
What Can We Do?
What Can We Do?
Right now, the most important thing you can do is to get the word out to your friends and neighbors in Bolton. Make them aware of the override, and the need for everyone to vote yes to preserve the character of our town. Turn out for the Information Sessions, and show your support for the override. We also have shareable images that you can download to use on social media.
Most crucially, attend the Town Meeting on May 5th and vote in the Town Ballot on May 12th. You must vote yes both times! The override first needs to be approved at the Town Meeting, and then it must pass the ballot vote. Failure to pass both votes means the override fails completely, and the budgets will be cut.
A limited number of free lawn signs are available to request as well to show your support and encourage your neighbors to vote yes.
Information Sessions
Information Sessions
All of the planned information sessions have already been held. For video of these sessions, and other related videos, see the YouTube Videos page.
Additionally, the PowerPoint slide deck used for the presentations, and for the upcoming Town Meeting on May 5th, is available on the Advisory Committee Presentation page.
Voting
Voting
Article 4, the Budget/Override, passed at the Annual Town Meeting on Monday, May 5th. The next, and final, step is the ballot vote on Monday, May 12th.
If you are unable to come to the polls on Monday, May 12th from 12pm-8pm, you can visit the Town Clerk's Office during normal business hours (Monday, Wednesday, and Thursday 9:00am to 2:30pm, Tuesday 9:00am to 4:00pm - Closed Friday-Sunday) to vote in person/absentee.
Where Can I Get More Information?
Where Can I Get More Information?
We've created a Frequently Asked Questions page, which we will continue to expand as needed. We've also highlighted some YouTube Videos available from Bolton Access TV. And of course, we've provided more details about the potential impacts on the Bolton Public Library, Council On Aging, Parks and Recreation Commission, and Other Town Services on this site. You can see the slides used in the Information Sessions, and the upcoming Annual Town Meeting, on the Advisory Committee Presentation page.
Who Created This Site?
Who Created This Site?
We are the Committee in Support of Bolton 2025 Override, a grassroots group of Bolton residents who believe that the preservation of the at-risk programs and services is worth paying a slight increase in our tax bill. While we came together from members of existing community groups, such as the Friends of the Bolton Public Library and the Friends of Bolton Seniors, as well as like minded individuals from the community, this site is not affiliated with any existing groups. This is a separate effort by concerned individuals.
We want all Bolton residents to know how important it is to pass the override in May, and what we will lose should we fail to do so. We're not connected to, or authorized by, the Town government - we're your neighbors. We live in Bolton, we love our community, and we pay the same taxes. We're all in this together.
This site in particular was created and is managed by MegaZone (yes, that's my legal name, call me MZ), a Bolton resident since 2019 at 10 Village Lane. I invested my own time and effort into this site as my contribution to the Committee in Support of Bolton 2025 Override, to get the word out. I was assisted in this effort by many individuals who kindly responded to my requests for information and clarifying questions as I gathered the information you can find on this site. Thank you all for your help.
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