Stoneham Override Study Committee Votes 6-1 That Town Needs a Tax Override

STONEHAM -- August 26, 2025, Stoneham Override Study Committee votes 6-1 that the town needs a Proposition 2 1/2 override, while tabling decisions on amount and timing. The August 26 vote came after the committee rejected 5-4 a motion by Member Stephen to table all three central questions, with Stephen casting the lone dissent on the need question. Prior to voting, an extended public comment period drew more than a dozen speakers almost uniformly in favor of an override, and the chair reported receiving 70 emails on the subject. In deliberations, Member Nick cited $777,000 in police overtime and a 42 percent rise in calls since 2001 as evidence of structural staffing shortfalls, while members debated how much, if any, of Massachusetts' Fair Share Act millionaire's tax revenue has reached Stoneham's operating budget. The committee's report to the Select Board is due September 30, 2025, and members still lack school department financial data and complete DPW figures needed to recommend a specific dollar amount.