May 19, 2026 · Annual Town Election
Ballot Questions
Four questions. Three ask to raise your property taxes. One asks to redefine your town. Here’s what you need to know before you vote.
Question 1
Dennis-Yarmouth Regional School Override
What it does: A Proposition 2½ override that permanently raises your property tax levy to fund expanded Dennis-Yarmouth school district budgets. Once approved, this increase never goes away — it becomes the new baseline for every future tax year.
What you should know: The current D-Y school budget is $80.6 million. The district spends $1.69 million per year on ELL (English Language Learner) programs alone — serving a student population where 29.1% don’t speak English at home. Every dollar of this override is added permanently to the tax levy and compounds year over year.
Detailed cost-per-household analysis available to committee members.
Question 2
Cape Cod Regional Technical High School Override
What it does: A second Proposition 2½ override — this time for Cape Cod Tech — that also permanently raises your property tax levy. If both Question 1 and Question 2 pass, you are approving two permanent tax increases on the same ballot.
What you should know: Prop 2½ overrides bypass the normal tax growth cap that protects homeowners. Unlike debt exclusions (Question 3), overrides have no end date. They raise the levy ceiling permanently and every future increase builds on top.
Detailed cost-per-household analysis available to committee members.
Question 3
Library Debt Exclusion
What it does: A debt exclusion to fund Yarmouth library construction or renovation. Unlike the overrides in Questions 1 and 2, a debt exclusion is temporary — the tax increase expires when the debt is paid off.
What you should know: Debt exclusions are a more responsible fiscal tool than permanent overrides because they have an end date. That said, voters should know the total project cost, annual debt service, and per-household impact before approving any new borrowing. No project is too popular for scrutiny.
Project details and cost analysis available to committee members.
Question 4 · Non-Binding
Resolution for Equal Protection of Yarmouth Residents
What it does: A non-binding ballot question asking whether Yarmouth should adopt a sanctuary-style resolution. While non-binding, a “yes” vote gives political cover for future policy changes and signals to outside organizations that Yarmouth is receptive to sanctuary policies.
What you should know: This question was placed on the ballot after just 35 petition signatures — representing 0.15% of Yarmouth’s 22,842 registered voters. The petition was filed by a recently arrived activist minister who registered to vote in Yarmouth in August 2024. The Select Board voted 4-1 to place it on the ballot; only Tracy Post (R) voted no. A substantially similar resolution was previously defeated at Town Meeting.
What This Costs You
Every override and exclusion on this ballot adds to your property tax bill. If all three fiscal questions pass, Yarmouth homeowners face a combined permanent tax increase.
Override
Permanent. Raises the tax levy ceiling forever. Every future 2.5% increase builds on the higher base.
Debt Exclusion
Temporary. Increase expires when the debt is paid. More responsible, but still costs real money.
Yarmouth has approximately 12,500 taxable residential parcels. Not every voter pays property taxes — but every voter gets to raise them. Massachusetts requires no voter ID and actively encourages mail-in balloting, which means high-turnout override campaigns can pass tax increases that disproportionately affect homeowners and landlords while renters and seasonal residents face no direct cost.
If you own property in Yarmouth, these questions are about your money.
Full Analysis Coming Soon
Our committee is preparing a detailed cost-per-household analysis for each question — including exact dollar amounts, historical comparison, and the cumulative impact if multiple questions pass on the same ballot.
Committee members receive this analysis directly. If you want access to the numbers your town government isn’t volunteering — and you want a seat at the table where these conversations happen — come to a meeting.
May 19, 2026 · Polls 7:00 AM – 8:00 PM · Mail ballot deadline: May 12 · No in-person early voting