Nov 18, 2022
Andrew Flanagan and Joel Blumstein
Special Town Meeting Update

Town Manager Andrew Flanagan and Building Committee Chair Joel Blumstein will discuss the Special Town Meeting that will be held on Thursday, December 1, 2022, at 7:00 pm at the Collins Center at Andover High School. The purpose of the meeting is to consider whether to authorize additional funds to allow completion of construction of the new West Elementary and Shawsheen Preschool. A two-thirds vote is required for passage. By way of background, in June of 2021, at Annual Town Meeting and at the ballot box, funds were authorized for the design and construction of the new school. The total project budget was set at $151,661,968, which included a maximum grant from the Massachusetts School Building Authority (MSBA) of $38,442,820. Due to factors affecting the overall economy – supply chain disruptions, labor shortages, inflation, the war in Ukraine – construction costs have increased significantly, resulting in a budget deficit and thus the need for a Special Town Meeting. The exact amount of the budget request is still being determined but is likely to be in the range of $15-16 million. An appropriation of $16 million would result in an annual tax increase of about $70 for the average value single-family home.