Stoneham Select Board Votes 3-2 to Hold Override Election June 14

STONEHAM — April 29, 2025 — Stoneham Select Board votes 3-2 to put a new Proposition 2½ override on the June 14 ballot. The vote came after more than two hours of debate at the April 29 meeting, with members Ryan Donahue, David Oliveira, and Heidi Dowd in favor and Chair Tim Donahue and member Ramey Parker opposed, both citing concern that moving too quickly risks another failure. The board must finalize the dollar amount and ballot question language by May 8 — the last eligible day for a June 14 election — and set a dedicated meeting for May 6 at 5 p.m. to do so. Separately, the board voted unanimously to recommend favorable action on the Finance Advisory Board's fiscal year 2026 budget, paired with a floor statement calling for reallocation of $131,373 from unfilled police and fire vacancy lines — $90,000 to the public library and $41,373 to the Council on Aging — to be read by the Select Board chair at the May 5 annual town meeting. Library Board of Trustees Chair Jessica Killalay told the board that without at least $771,000, the library faces layoffs, loss of Saturday hours, and near-certain loss of state library certification worth approximately $57,000 in annual aid.