Big Library Vote is Tomorrow

Voters head to the polls tomorrow to decide on an expansion of the

The polls will be open from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. at , 105 Millbury St.

The issue, which has generated considerable discussion, will be decided by a ballot vote. Voters will be asked whether to approve a debt exclusion for the cost of the project.

The project will cost the town about $6.6 million, scheduled to be paid over 20 years. The average household will pay $79 per year for the project.

The total project cost is $11.7 million, with $5.1 million to be covered by a state grant that was awarded in July.

The issue was approved by two votes at the October Town Meeting. That vote required a two-third margin of approval.

Tomorrow’s vote requires a simple majority.

Supporters have argued that the library has grown too small for its population and services. They also have said that the deal makes financial sense, because the state grant is paying for nearly half the cost and the town would be forced to spend money on the building anyway, with no reimbursement, to make the building compliant with the Americans with Disabilities Act.

Opponents have said the town cannot afford any more new projects, with the fire station, police station and new high school already approved and a potential new Department of Public Works building and Municipal Center work on the horizon. They have also questioned why a large expansion is needed in an era of electronic readers and the Internet.

Everyone agrees on one thing: October’s close margin proved that every vote counts.