In unofficial results for the December 3 ballot vote, a comfortable majority of Lincoln residents gave the go-ahead for the $92.9 million Lincoln School project—though the margin was not as large as the one at the December 1 Special Town Meeting.
Sixty-five percent of Lincoln voters who cast a ballot voted yes, clearing the way for the town to borrow $88.5 million to renovate and partially rebuild the Lincoln School. The 68%–32% margin easily cleared the required hurdle for a simple majority—though it was notably lower than the 89%–11% margin at Saturday’s vote, which required a two-thirds majority to pass.
The election saw a 35 percent turnout of Lincoln’s 4,797 registered voters.
Early next year, the Finance Committee will determine what amounts of the total to borrow and when. The final interest rate won’t be known until just before the first bond purchase. The panel has been using interest rates of 4% and 5% to estimate the range of property tax increases (currently 17.2%–19.4%), though the full impact of the increase will not occur right away.
| Precinct 1 | Precinct 2 | Totals | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Yes | 745 | 399 | 1,144 |
| No | 341 | 196 | 537 |
| 1,086 | 595 | 1,681 |
Click here to see a map of Lincoln’s voting precincts.
I am disappointed at the apathy of voters. This is a very important issue that has a direct impact on people almost immediately. Such a low voter turnout only suggests that the town, who will be on the hook, and the town’s board, did not inform the people of Lincoln of the magnitude of this project. Really disappointed at the turn out – 35% unreal.
It may be fair to use the word apathy, but I disagree with the criticism of town boards. Anyone who was not aware of the magnitude of this project and the many opportunities to show up, listen, comment, and vote was being intentionally disengaged. The town boards and the SBC went out of their way to do publicity, community engagement, and to encourage participation. They are to be commended for their efforts at a democratic process.