Breaking: Acton voters back funds for roadwork, nix ADA-compliant bathrooms
Both items were structured as debt exclusion proposals, where the town takes on debt and pays it back through a series of tax hikes.
Concordians on Tuesday said yes to new road spending and no to funding their share of a bathroom building at Acton-Carlisle High School.
The $27.5 million, five-year road maintenance package passed by a 1,766-978 tally in uncertified results. Voters were divided on the $1.42 million amenities building borrowing with 1,180 in favor and 1,565 opposed.
After a summer in which public officials worried about turnout, 19% or 2,754 of Acton’s 14,195 registered voters cast a ballot in this year’s post-Town Meeting special election. Asked moments before polls closed, staffers in the Town Clerk’s Office said 1,148 had voted by mail.
In a text message late Tuesday night, Public Works Commission Chair Andrea Solomon said the roads vote approval was a “well-informed decision” that showed residents “are in favor of a long-range planning process to improve road and sidewalk conditions.”
CCHS School Committee Chair Tracey Marano said via email that she was “extremely disappointed” by the amenities building result. She vowed to continue pushing for bathrooms that comply with the federal Americans with Disabilities Act and said she’s “embarrassed and disappointed” that residents voted “no.”
Tax impacts
Public works brass and members of several local boards backed the road package and said it will save money in the long run by easing a maintenance backlog and heading off future costly repairs. Supporters said the spending surge will also boost safety with pedestrian and bike infrastructure improvements.
School officials revamped their request for bathroom funding after backing off another proposal last year to bring CCHS’ Memorial Field stadium into compliance with the ADA and the state plumbing code.
Carlisle approved its share of the $1.85 million cost, but made approval contingent on Acton’s green-lighting of the remaining $1.42 million.
The amenities building would have had 16 toilets and urinals in a concrete block structure.
The road package and the amenities building were both structured as debt exclusion proposals, where the town takes on debt and pays it back through a series of tax hikes. Critics of both measures noted the tax impact. (Acton’s annual average bills were already the fifth-highest in the state in the 2025 fiscal year, according to a recent consultant report related to MCI-Acton prison redevelopment.)
Pre-election projections said the road project will raise tax bills over the next 15 years, with an average annual impact for the average homeowner of $351.57. The amenities building would have cost a taxpayer an average of $27.10 per year over 10 years.
Last-minute correction
A townwide voter information mailer erroneously said a “yes” vote on the amenities building would cost $271 per year per household for 10 years, spurring an eleventh-hour correction.
In-person absentee voting and mail-in voting started before officials announced the error and Town Clerk Kaari Mai Tari said 698 people had cast a ballot as of August 11. Officials sent a corrected mailer to all residents and offered those who had already voted the chance to change their vote based on the revised information.
Tari said one voter had asked to change their vote as of Tuesday morning. Election workers delayed delivering ballots to the polls that were cast before election day, Tari said, in case additional voters wanted to change their vote in person.
Tari previously acknowledged that “this scenario has not come up in Acton before.”
Some bathroom backers were also frustrated with the tone of a sample argument against the project that was included in the packet. After the issue came to light, CCHS School Committee Chair Tracey Marano said she was “extremely disappointed” in the process.
In-person voting
Those who opted for election day voting got cool weather and mostly clear skies for their civic participation. At Hunt Recreation Center, Linda Nieman — a street safety advocate — rode her bike to the polls wearing a high-visibility yellow vest.
The Acton Fire Department briefly responded around 11:30 a.m. after someone reported smelling natural gas. Firefighters searched the building but found no leak.
Former Select Board Chair Henry Dane spoke with The Acton Bridge on his way into Hunt Rec Center, but, like several other residents, wouldn’t reveal how he voted.
“I have enough enemies already,” he said.
Gail Penrod said she was voting because this year’s special election could affect her taxes. A longtime resident, she said bills are “pretty high in comparison to other towns around.”
What’s next?
The road package and the amenities building both had to clear Town Meeting before Tuesday’s balloting.
Concordians have clamored for safety improvements, and public officials have pledged a transparent process to determine how money gets allocated.
“While it looks like a lot of money, it’s nowhere near all the needs that we’ve heard,” Public Works Director Alan Cathcart told the Select Board last week.
Town staff, the Select Board, and appointed groups, including the Public Works Commission and the Transportation Advisory Committee, have roles in town infrastructure discussions.
With new cash on the horizon, Cathcart said groups would hold a joint meeting in the coming weeks to discuss a project vetting process.
“Once we know the funding is there, we can sort of drill into the details,” he said.
With Tuesday’s failure at the ballot box, school officials are now headed back to the drawing board on the amenities building.
Appointed and elected school leaders have warned that the current status quo — where the high school rents portable toilets for Memorial Field — is an equity issue given accessibility concerns. Leaders say it also leaves the district vulnerable to litigation.
The School Committee is next scheduled to meet Wednesday. The meeting agenda includes a discussion item for the amenities building.
Special election results will remain unofficial until they are certified.
20250819_Unofficial_Election-Results
August 20, 2:46 p.m.: This breaking story has been updated.
