Town of Bridgewater Reminds Residents of Voting Information Ahead of Saturday’s Annual Town Election

BRIDGEWATER — Town Manager Michael Dutton wishes to remind residents of the Annual Town Election this weekend.

The Annual Town Election will be held on Saturday, April 22, from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. at Bridgewater Middle School.  

Bridgewater is made up of nine precincts and three districts. Voter precinct information can be viewed via a map or street list here.

In addition to voting for local elected positions, Bridgewater voters will be asked whether to approve a Proposition 2 ½ debt exclusion to build the new Bristol-Plymouth Regional Technical School facility. A Proposition 2 ½ debt exclusion allows the town to increase its levy limit temporarily to pay for bonds related to a specified capital project and purchase.

Construction of a new school building was approved by voters in Bristol-Plymouth Regional Technical School’s sending communities — which include Bridgewater and six additional communities — in a referendum on March 5, 2022. Bridgewater voters approved the ballot question by almost 2-1. 

The question will ask voters whether the Town of Bridgewater should be allowed to exempt from Proposition 2 ½ provisions to pay for the town’s allocated share of the project’s bond, which is approximately $1.2 million. The bond will fund demolition of the current Bristol-Plymouth Regional Technical School building, construction of a new building, and associated project costs.

A Town Project Tax Calculator has been made available to help residents determine the impact the project — and anticipated future projects — would have on their property tax bills. To use the calculator, residents may simply insert their assessed property value and click the “Calculate” button. Assessed property values can be found through the Assessors Online Database by inserting a street address. 

Approval of the debt exclusion will allow the town to pay its share of the project by excluding the annual cost from the provisions of Proposition 2 ½. If voters do not approve the debt exclusion, the town will be required to pay the cost of the project through its general fund budget, which will have a significant impact on other municipal services. 

Because the Bristol-Plymouth Regional Technical School project debt exclusion must be voted this year, the town deferred a planned debt exclusion for road repair work so that taxpayers would not be significantly affected by two debt exclusions. 

The Town Election Warrant, to include the Proposition 2 ½ debt exclusion question, was approved by the Bridgewater Town Council at its March 7 meeting. The warrant can be viewed in full by clicking here.

Additional Annual Town Election information, including the Ballot Question and Candidates List, can be found on the town website. 

Questions about the debt exclusion or election can be directed to the Town Manager’s Office at TownManager@bridgewaterma.org.

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