MONTAGUE — Contingent upon approval at Annual Town Meeting, a special election for a debt exclusion that would fund construction of a proposed new library at 38 Avenue A has been scheduled for Wednesday, June 24.
Montague Town Meeting members at the Saturday, May 2, Annual Town Meeting will first need to approve bringing the debt exclusion, which would temporarily raise tax revenue above the annual levy limit to fund the building project, to voters in a special election. The measure must be approved by a two-thirds majority to head to the ballot box.
As this project is part of the Massachusetts Board of Library Commissioners’ (MBLC) Massachusetts Public Library Construction Program, a portion of the eligible construction costs for a new library would be reimbursed. The MBLC plans to vote on how much to award the project on March 5, with the remaining cost to be covered by the town.
Once the final expense is determined, the Library Building Steering Committee will host an information session on Tuesday, March 17, about the project cost and tax implications, according to the Montague Public Libraries website.
Library Trustees Chair Will Quale told the Selectboard that the desire for a June special election is based on wanting to ensure there is enough time to properly educate residents about the project costs and the benefits of a new building by the end of the fiscal year on June 30, when the MBLC requires the results of the debt exclusion vote. Although the annual town election is already set for May 19, having the debt exclusion vote be part of that election would shorten the public outreach period. With local races taking place, it could also divert attention from the library vote.
“We really hope to see a special election to give us adequate time to really educate people and get people discussing the issue,” Quale explained, “and win or lose entirely on the merits of the issue and how the community feels about it, rather than any other factors that we’re not in control of.”
Last summer, the library trustees and the Library Building Steering Committee agreed to move forward with building a new library at 38 Avenue A in Turners Falls. A new building at the site was one of two options considered, with the other option being to renovate the existing Carnegie Public Library at 201 Avenue A. Accessibility, an exterior design that complements the surrounding downtown and the inclusion of a community space were some of the main areas of focus voiced during public meetings.
The effort has been an ongoing process for decades, with the town securing a $100,000 grant for design and planning in January 2025. This grant covered 50% of the designs, and $150,000 was allocated by Town Meeting members to cover the rest. In January, the MBLC approved the building design, with some minimal revisions.
Per the designs by architectural firm Schwartz/Silver, the ground-level floor of the new library would be an 11,092-square-foot space with an adult book collection, local history room, a reading room and private study spaces. On the second floor, the 9,687-square-foot space would include the community room, teen room, an art gallery and a rooftop terrace on the Second Street side of the building.
Voting considerations
Part of the discussion with the Selectboard entailed parsing out the logistics of early voting, as Town Clerk Wendy Bogusz and her staff have a statewide election training in early June, creating an initial conflict over which staff members could administer early voting at Town Hall while others are at the training.
Town Administrator Walter Ramsey clarified that, per state law, early voting opens 11 business days before an election, which would not conflict with the training.
Still, mail-in ballots, whether for absentee or early voting, require special attention from voters, as people may have two separate election ballots. Bogusz advised that people will need to ensure their ballots are mailed with their corresponding envelopes for either the May or June election for their vote to be counted.
“That is something that the library can help educate voters on,” Selectboard Chair Matt Lord said.
After navigating the questions around election scheduling, the Selectboard voted unanimously to hold the special election on Wednesday, June 24, from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.
With this election date set, Montague will have five elections in 2026, including the annual town election on May 19, the debt exclusion vote for the library on June 24, an Oct. 6 special election for the Franklin County Technical School’s new building proposal, the state primary in September and the state election in November.