Town Meeting approved a Proposition 2 1/2 debt exclusion to fund the project, estimated to cost $37.235 million, which represents the final cost after a series of reductions to the scope of the project. Voters townwide will be asked whether or not they approve a debt exclusion that would permit borrowing to fund the project.
State law requires approval by both Town Meeting and in a ballot referendum. Approval will allow the town to temporarily increase taxes to cover the debt it would incur as a result of the project. It is projected that the tax rate will increase by $1.16 per $1,000 of valuation.
For more information on the project’s scope and cost, review the presentation given at Town Meeting below:
The Pepperell Building Committee was formed in early 2020. Following a comprehensive review, the Committee identified that the Police and Fire Departments and Patriot Regional Emergency Communications Center work out of facilities that have numerous structural and functional deficiencies. Pepperell Police and Patriot RECC are headquartered at the former Shattuck School, which was built in 1895.
Committee members set goals of developing a cost-effective proposal that met established community needs, improves service levels, and is environmentally sustainable.