To the Editor,
I urge every voting member in our community to participate in the critical override vote on June 4th. Every voting member in your household needs to vote! This override is not just about numbers — it’s about preserving the heart of our town: our schools, our public services, and ultimately, our property values.
Let’s be clear—this is not a spending problem; it’s a revenue problem. Under Proposition 2½, annual tax levy increases have not kept pace with rising costs for well over a decade. This has led to deep budget cuts year after year. This is our town’s first operational override request in 14 years, and it’s long overdue. Market Street revenues and Covid relief monies have spared us of multiple overrides in the past decade.
Rising costs are real and unavoidable:
A 13.9% increase in health insurance costs this year alone
Escalating labor, property, and casualty insurance expenses
Growing special education and transportation costs
This override has NO new positions or capital building improvements included in it. It is simply to keep our level of service where it currently stands in the schools, senior center and library.
Without the override, the consequences will be devastating:
Loss of 56 educators and staff across the district
Class sizes over 30, including every classroom at LMS
Elimination of all academic interventionists and support staff, which if cut, will only perpetuate the growing Special Education Services increase
Significant cuts to Senior Center hours and services
Severe reductions in library services, including loss of accreditation which would mean no access to the NOBLE inter-library loan program
It is also important to note that Lynnfield has one of the lowest residential tax rates compared to surrounding communities:
Stoneham: $10.23
Lynnfield: $10.56
Wakefield: $11.35
Reading: $11.39
Middleton: $11.89
North Reading: $13.06
Wenham: $15.54
Hamilton: $15.65
Failing to act now will cause long-term damage that won’t be easily repaired for years and years to come. This override is an investment in the future of Lynnfield. Let’s come together to protect what matters most.
Vote YES on June 4th at Lynnfield High School from 7am – 8pm. Our schools, our services, and our town are counting on it.
Sincerely,
Sarah Kelley
