Thursday, May 4, 2000 Older Editions

Next stop: Secret ballot

By Neil Fater

When residents left the first night of Town Meeting last Monday, many assumed they had approved everything necessary to build a new middle and elementary schools. But the toughest challenge still faces supporters of the two new schools.

They must gain the support of voters in a special election set for Tuesday, May 23. If they don't, the new schools will not be built.

But the new-schools issue is just one of three debt-exclusion questions on the May 23 ballot. Because of a state law governing the exact wording of the ballot questions, none of the project costs will be listed on the ballot.

However, approval of ballot Question 1 will mean Andover will have a one-time debt-exclusion from Proposition 21/2 to pay the $10.9 million construction costs of a new public safety center. If Question 1 fails, Andover will still built the new safety center, but will pay for it by making cuts in town services.

If Question 2 is approved, it will mean a second debt exclusion from Proposition 21/2 for nearly $34.5 million, to fund the design and construction costs of the new schools.

The third debt-exclusion question would provide $600,000 for sidewalks in the area of the proposed schools.

The ballot questions have formed an alliance of parents of school-age children and members of the police and fire unions.

"We're teaming up with everybody who's interested in pursuing passing the debt exclusion for the public safety center and the schools," says Fire Lt. Jim Cuticchia, firefighters union spokesman. "Our feeling is simple. We need the public safety center and the schools. (But) bricks and mortar won't give us quality education, it won't give us good public safety.

"Without a debt exclusion, it will have a significant impact on the budget. It will change the way we provide services, in a negative way," says Cuticchia, "and change us as a town. I don't think that's a good thing."

Officials realize the ballot question could be a tougher fight, because more people vote, and the process is secret.

"As far as I'm concerned, it was fine that we had great support at Town Meeting and got the vote out. But that was 1,200 people. If you look back at 1994, there were 7,000 to 8,000 people (who cast a debt exclusion ballot)," says Tina Girdwood, School Committee chairperson.

In fact, in 1994, when Andover approved two school-related debt-exclusion overrides, 1,692 people voted at Town Meeting, and 7,765 cast a ballot in the debt-exclusion election.

Town Clerk Randy Hanson says that's about the turnout Andover gets for a presidential primary.

More telling, while the 1994 three-schools renovation project passed the election by about 600 votes, the second debt-exclusion question, for a technology upgrade for the remaining schools, was approved by just six votes.

"We've been impressed by the support to date and we hope it continues. We consider this the most important vote that's out there," says Bach. "We hope that people don't count on someone else to vote for them, because every vote will count."

"At Town Meeting you hear pros and cons of an issue, just as a legislator would because they are the town's legislative body. In an election, you're going to have people who didn't go to Town Meeting come and vote," says Cuticchia. "I think people have grown accustomed to Andover always doing the right thing. I think the votes are out there. Whether we get them to the polls is anther issue."

Bach says the schools have messages regarding the project on the schools Web site and on cable TV. The YES PAC, a parent group, expects to carry signs downtown during the next weekend and conduct phone banks, just as a candidate would in a regular election.

But not everyone is taking an active role. Both the police and fire chiefs are keeping a low profile so it will not appear that they are using their influence to sway the vote. Officials can not use tax money to support a project. Because of this concern, Bach was careful to note in a letter to the editor this week that she was writing from home, rather than from the office, when she would be on taxpayers time.

"We're precluded from really speaking in support of a position. I think it's important that everyone educate themselves on what a yes vote and a no vote would do," says Police Chief Brian Pattullo. "The public safety center will be built. The question is how will it be funded."

Though officials have formed an alliance to pass all three questions, the sidewalks question is likely to receive far less active support.

"The sidewalk is a part of it, but they don't reach the same level," says Cuticchia. "The impact of not building the sidewalks isn't going to have an impact on the entire town. If we took that out of the operating budget, it would hurt, but it wouldn't kill us."