YARMOUTH – The financial burden of the proposed new middle school for the Dennis-Yarmouth Regional School District is still causing concern for Yarmouth selectmen.
Yarmouth selectmen fear massive cuts to critical public services if the town is forced to fund its share of the project.
Selectmen also feel that residents of the town didn’t have a high level of knowledge of the vote before it took place.
“I know that people were upset and I feel the need to represent the people we’re elected to represent,” said Yarmouth Selectwoman Tracy Post.
“I don’t think the people of Yarmouth feel that they were treated fairly in this process.”
The $117 million project was approved by a 32-vote margin when the two towns voted on the issue in December.
Selectman Mike Stone said he believes that residents in the towns did not have a high level of knowledge of the vote before it took place.
“I was surprised that between Thanksgiving and the day of the vote of the people I spoke to that were either unaware of the vote or didn’t know how they should vote, asking me if it was a good thing or a bad thing. I don’t know why, but there was not a high level, I think, of public awareness about this vote, at least with the older people I spoke with,” said Stone.
“We did our best to get the word out to the people. We had three informational sessions, but not everybody watched selectmen’s meetings, not everybody reads the newspaper, I guess not everybody listens to the radio.”
Yarmouth residents voted against the project in the initial vote as well as a second question proposed to fund the project, resulting in an additional debt exclusion vote to take place in the spring.
“The irony of this vote is that the town with the minority representation in Dennis, which is approximately 30-percent, has cast enough votes to require the town with the majority of the population, which is 70-percent, to go forward with the project,” added Stone.
If that debt exclusion vote fails, Yarmouth residents would be responsible for funding the town’s share of the project from its operating budget. At risk in this situation is the possibility of massive cuts to critical public services, like police, fire, and DPW.
“We cannot allow that to happen to our town. I just don’t even see how it could be possible,” Post said.
“I just keep going over it my mind that I should feel happy that we’re going to have a brand new school building, but I just don’t know how anybody can feel happy about the scenario we’re in.”
A recount of the vote is in both towns is set for next week.
By TIM DUNN, CapeCod.com News Center
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