Melrose 2025 Election: Tax Override Passes

MELROSE, MA — Voters elected to pass a tax override totaling more than $13 million, according to unofficial results from Tuesday's election.

Three option amounts were $9.3 million, $11.9 million, and $13.5 million named stabilize, repair, and strengthen were presented earlier this year. Mayor Jen Grigoraitis emphasized that only the option that receives the most votes will take effect, and the amount will not go above the highest option of $13.5 million.

The "strengthen" override appears to have passed with a vote count of 6,018 in favor against 5,052 opposed. According to the city, this override will fund 17 school, five public works, and two police officer positions. In addition, it will also pay for school curriculum needs and road maintenance.

City-Councilor-At-Large led the contested races with five candidates vying for four seats. Incumbents Ryan Williams and Maya Jamaleddine appear to have earned another term, receiving 5,170 and 5,455 votes respectively. Jason Chen and Elizabeth Kowal are expected to win the other two seats, defeating fellow challenger Dionysios Kaskarelis, who recevied the least amount of votes with 4,083.

Camarie Clark is slated to fall to incumbent Melissa Holleran, incumbent Jennifer Razi-Thomas, and newcomer Sheri Leo in the School Committee race. Holleran, Razi-Thomas, and Leo all received more than 5,000 votes over Clark's 3,556.

Incumbent Ward 7 City Councilor Devin Romanul narrowly defeated challenger Alex Rodriguez by a total of 881 to 808 votes respectively.

"I’m running for re-election because I believe city government works best when it’s transparent, accessible, and focused on solving real problems," Romanul said. "Over the past two years, I’ve built a track record of listening, delivering tangible results, and communicating clearly about how our city works. I want to continue that work and keep building a Melrose that works for families."