Rockland re-elects Nicole Kalloch to City Council, approves charter amendment, new garage; defeats city hall bond
Rockland voters re-elected Nicole Kalloch to the City Council, casting 2,055 votes in her favor.
Two candidates, incumbent Nicole Kalloch and David Statman, were competing for one seat on the City Council. Statman received 1,418 votes.
Local issues passed
Question 1. Shall the Rockland City Charter be amended to allow that, at any time, the City Council may vote to remove the Mayor from the mayorial position, and vote again to select a new mayor to fill the remainder of the one-year term?
YES: 2, 024
NO: 1,554
Question 2. Bond for Public Services Garage. The City is asking voters to approve a $3 million bond, plus an amount not to exceed 2 percent to pay the cost of the bond or notes, to finance the construction of a public services garage.
YES: 2,098
NO: 1,477
Question 3. Bond for City Hall. The City is asking voters to approve a $3 million bond to finance the cost of acquisition, repairs and renovations of 22 White Street to be the location of a new city hall. The Question also includes spendng for the cost of the bond or notes not to exceed 2 percent.
YES: 1,583
NO: 1,982
Question 4 is an advisory question and asks voter if the Council should explore a local housing bond and other policies and incentives for the development of affordable housing in Rockland.
YES: 2,852
NO: 811
Currently, Rockland's outstanding indebtedness is $19.5 million. With bonds authorized by not issued, the total is almost $24 million.
The city said the anticipated interest rate on the proposed bonds is between 5 and 6 percent. Assuming the issuance of the full $6 million of bonds, but not accounting for the cost of issuance, the principal payments over a 30-year term and an average interest rate of 5.134 percent, the interest cost would be $5.365,946, which would result in a total cost of prinicpal and interest to be paid at maturity for the new bonds to be $11.365 million, all dependent on market conditions