Manchester Voters Reject $12.5 Million Library Referendum, Approve $4.9 Million for School Repairs

Although official numbers are still pending, it appeared late Tuesday night that Manchester voters resoundingly rejected a $12.5 million proposal to expand the Mary Cheney Library, while approving by an equally large margin $4.9 million in repairs for the town's public schools. 

Official numbers were still being tallied by the town's Registrar Office late Tuesday, but early reports from polling stations indicated that Manchester voters rejected the Mary Cheney Library expansion by an almost two-to-one margin, while the school repairs question also appears to have passed by an almost equal two-to-one margin. 

The $12.5 million Mary Cheney Library expansion would have seen the existing building expanded roughly 10,000-square feet into Center Memorial Park, but only takes up about 0.8 acres of the seven acre park. The Mary Cheney Library was built in 1937 and expanded in 1961, exempting it from the Americans With Disabilities Act, which was passed in 1990. The renovation would also have made the library compliant with all ADA requirements. 

The $4.9 million in school repairs includes funds to replace the roofs at Bowers, Waddell and Verplanck elementary schools, electrical repairs at Manchester High School, and a number of other repairs that school administrators have deemed "critical." 

Stick with Patch as throughout Election Night as official numbers come in. 

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