“Vote YES for Reading” Ballot Question Committee Formed Ahead of November Override Vote
Committee to advocate for the $6.5 million Proposition 2 ½ override on Reading’s November 3, 2026 ballot
Graphic by the Vote Yes for Reading Committee.
READING, MA, September 10, 2026 -- A municipal ballot question committee called Vote YES for Reading has been formed and registered with the Town of Reading. The committee's purpose is to advocate in support of the $6.5 million Proposition 2 1⁄2 operating override about which Reading voters will decide on November 3, 2026, alongside the state election ballot.
The override would take effect in fiscal year 2028 and is intended to help close the structural budget gap the Town has attributed to rising employee benefit and insurance costs, a sharply more expensive trash contract, and several years of relying on one-time reserves to balance the budget. At the Select Board’s July 22 and July 28, 2026, meetings, Town Manager Jayne Wellman and the Finance Committee told the Board that without new revenue, Reading faces reductions in school staffing and in police, fire, and public works positions, and cuts to Reading Public Library service severe enough to put the library’s state certification at risk. The Finance Committee voted 8–0 on July 22, 2026, to recommend the Town seek even more than the $6.5 million now on the ballot.
“The last override in 2018 was supposed to last three to five years but stretched to eight years. Now we have an opportunity as a community to rally around this critical override to invest in our schools, protect essential municipal services, and secure Reading’s future. I have witnessed how Reading residents continually come together to show their support for critical causes, and I am optimistic that voters will turn out to Vote YES for Reading on November 3!” said Mary Christine Paxton, Chair of Vote YES for Reading.
The non-partisan committee has filed its organizational paperwork with the Massachusetts Office of Campaign and Political Finance and has established a bank account, website, and volunteer program. The committee is chaired by Mary Christine Paxton, and its officers include Jennifer Sorrentini, Adi Bengali, Emily Di Re, Kit Leonard, Robyn Daszkiewicz, Jesse Arnold, and Kasie Gates.
Vote YES for Reading plans to attend community events, distribute informational materials, and organize volunteer canvassing ahead of the November 3 election, alongside the Town of Reading’s own factual informational sessions on the override. Residents interested in volunteering, hosting a yard sign, or learning more can visit voteyesforreading.org, or follow the campaign at Voteyesforreading on Instagram and Facebook.
Documentation of the Town’s budget projections and the FY28 override, including the tax impact calculator, is available on the Town of Reading’s website at readingma.gov/FY28Override.
Vote YES for Reading is an independent ballot question committee and is not affiliated with the Town of Reading, the Reading School Committee, or the Reading Select Board.