Stoneham Tri-Board Reviews Override Scenarios Ranging From $10 Million to $20 Million

STONEHAM -- January 14, 2025, Stoneham's three governing boards got their first look Tuesday at override scenarios ranging from $10 million to $20 million, with Town Administrator Dennis Sheehan telling the joint Tri-Board session that maintaining current service levels across the town and schools would require roughly $10 million over a three-year period, about $1,200 annually for an average single-family household. A needs-based supplement adding positions to the Police Department, Fire Department, and Department of Public Works pushes that figure to approximately $12 million, while a full-needs scenario reaches $20 million, or roughly $2,300 per household per year. Sheehan said health insurance costs alone are projected to grow at 7.5 to 10 percent annually through the GIC, making level service increasingly expensive even before restoring positions cut in prior budget cycles. Select Board Chair Ramey Demaio said the town's history of failed overrides in 2008 and 2012 "has gotten us to this point." Fifteen residents spoke in public comment, nearly all urging the boards to place a robust, single-question override on the April 1 town election ballot, with the Select Board expected to vote on a final question structure and dollar amount by mid-February.