On November 5th, Vote YES on Questions 6, 7, and 8 to invest in the future of Medford!
For years, Medford residents have suffered due to chronic underfunding in our schools, on our streets, and in our city buildings. Inflation has made underfunding worse and solving these problems more urgent.
We deserve a future where children thrive in well-funded schools, firefighters operate from a state-of-the-art headquarters, and a permanent crew of city employees maintains our streets and sidewalks.
Your YES vote on Ballot Questions 6, 7, and 8 on Tuesday, November 5th will empower Medford to make crucial investments in our schools, streets, and fire department:
YES on 6
This debt exclusion will allow Medford to issue a bond to pay for the construction of a new, state-of-the-art Fire Headquarters to bolster our public safety services. Once the bond for construction is repaid, this temporary property tax increase would expire.
YES on 7
This override will prevent significant budget cuts to Medford Public Schools and replace expiring funds used to temporarily stabilize this year’s budget, avoiding drastic cuts to the arts, athletics, K-12 classrooms, mental health supports, maintenance, and technology.
And, it will create a permanent street and sidewalk repair crew in the Department of Public Works to help address the city’s $100 million+ repair and maintenance backlog.
YES on 8
This override will expand vocational programs and increase student access to the arts by giving us the funding to pay for the new programming and staff to help students succeed, fix the school schedule at all levels, and increase educator and paraprofessional compensation to ensure living and competitive wages.
How much will it cost?
Saying yes to all three questions will cost most homeowners LESS THAN $38/month. Look up your address and the exact impact here:
Or, compare the assessed value (found on your tax bill) to these examples:
City Assessed Property Value: $500,000 - Approx. $290/year or $24/month
City Assessed Property Value: $769,000 (average) - Approx. $446/year or $37/month
City Assessed Property Value: $1,000,000 - Approx. $580/year or $48/month
Why vote yes?
1. Fund Schools and Street Repairs
$3.5 million per year override to stabilize school funding and fix Medford’s streets and sidewalks
Replace $1.75 million in one-time funds used to stabilize this year’s (FY25) school budget
Prevent cuts to nurses, mental health support staff, literacy specialists, technology, and maintenance
Fund the cost of staffing for a permanent DPW repair crew to maintain our streets and sidewalks
2. Build a New Fire Headquarters
$2 million per year debt exclusion to pay for a $30 million bond for the construction of a new Fire HQ at 120 Main Street
Temporary property tax increase that ends when the construction bond is paid off
Enhance safety and response times for our community
Ensure our firefighters have a state-of-the-art headquarters
Preserve existing city bond capacity for other maintenance and construction projects
3. Strengthen Our Public Schools
$4 million per year override to expand school programs and supports so students can thrive
Recruit and retain teachers and paraprofessionals by ensuring living and competitive wages
Expand school day offerings and increase access to the arts and vocational programs
Increase stipends for advisors and coaches
Expand transportation services for families