After wishing us all a Happy Holidays and Happy Hanukkah, Mayor Reardon dedicates most of this edition of the Mayor’s Corner to the Whittier building project. Despite the efforts of most of the sending communities to delay a vote until April, the Whittier School Committee voted last night to move forward with a vote on Tuesday, January 23 between the hours of 11 am and 7 pm to decide whether to move forward on constructing a new Whittier Regional Vocational Technical High School in Haverhill, MA. A simple majority of individuals from each of the 11 communities will determine the outcome of the vote. The proposed building is estimated to cost $445 million, which will be the 3rd most expensive school in the United States. Newburyport is one of 11 sending communities and our proposed contribution, considering the $181M expected from the Massachusetts School Building Authority, is estimated to be $30 million ($60M over the life of the loan), with no existing funding mechanism in place to support this. As it stands, the expected increase in taxes for each Newburyport resident is $272/year for 30 years, requiring a debt exclusion measure to be scheduled and approved by Newburyport voters. Without a debt exclusion, the City would need to make significant budget reductions to fund the estimated $2.0 million in annual debt service within the existing tax levy. The City currently has 29 students enrolled in the school. If this passes, Mayor Reardon worries about the implications on our budget and consequently, our own schools. In closing, Mayor Reardon wishes everyone a great weekend and hopes you’ll all shop local and enjoy the last of three Invitation Nights tomorrow night.