Norwell Voters Reject $3.7M Override in Close Town Election

Norwell voters narrowly rejected a $3.7 million override in Saturday’s town election, casting 1,835 votes against and 1,701 in favor.

The proposed override would have funded critical needs across Norwell’s public schools, police, fire, public works, and general government operations. Without it, officials say departments will be forced to absorb rising costs without additional revenue, leading to staffing reductions.

In the closely watched Select Board race, John McGrath and Lorinda Lane won the two open seats, earning 1,892 and 1,853 votes respectively. Mark Cleveland finished third with 1,548 votes.

The override’s failure carries particularly steep consequences for the Norwell Public Schools. Superintendent Matthew Keegan warned before the election that 24 school positions — about 10% of total staff — would be eliminated if the measure didn’t pass.

“We will be cutting that $2,481,480 and having the exact same budget this year as next year,” Keegan said. “Because we have costs that we must meet, we're going to have to cut positions to make that work.”

At the elementary level, cuts will include two librarians, two literacy specialists, two classroom teachers, and four building-based aides. Additional reductions are planned across the middle and high schools, including the elimination of nine freshman athletic teams and six junior varsity teams.

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