2025 Election Results: Highest Override Amount Prevails
By Ellen Putnam
Melrose voters came out in overwhelming numbers on Tuesday (and in early and mail-in voting beforehand) to vote on three override questions and for representatives on the City Council and the School Committee.
This election had the highest turnout Melrose has seen in a local election in several years, with over 11,000 voters, or 52% of registered voters, coming out to cast a ballot. This was higher than the override election in 2024, which saw 44% turnout, and the mayoral race in 2023, which saw 42% turnout.
Override Questions
All three override questions that were on the ballot passed, which means that the highest tier, $13.5 million, will go into effect. (In a “tiered” override ballot question, the highest dollar amount that passes with a majority of the vote goes into effect.)
This is the highest override amount ever approved by voters in a municipality in Massachusetts, surpassing a $12 million override passed by voters in Brookline last year that previously held that record.
In the leadup to this election, there was much discussion of the format of the override questions, but it didn’t seem to end up changing voters’ behavior all that much: Question 1C received 500 (4.4%) more “Yes” votes than Question 1A - a fairly narrow spread given how many voters cast ballots on the override questions. There were also concerns that voters would not understand how to vote on the three override questions, but given the relatively small number of questions left blank - less than 1% of ballots cast for each of the three questions - voters appear to have been able to make their choices without being confused by the format.
Mayor Jen Grigoraitis said: “I am grateful and proud that Melrose voters chose to invest in our city’s vital services and public employees by voting to pass a $13.5 million override today. With this additional revenue, we can stabilize our city finances for years to come, substantially restoring essential city and school services and positions and investing in additional infrastructure.”
The Yes for Melrose campaign said: “After watching employees and services being cut in recent years, it is a relief to know that we have a well thought-out period of stability ahead. Asking people to pay more in local taxes is tough, but this is the way that we can really be a community - this is how we can support students, seniors, public works, public safety, and so much more that makes us grateful to be a part of Melrose.”
The Melrose Educators Union shared that they are “thrilled to celebrate the yes, yes, yes vote on the Melrose tax override! This win is a powerful statement of our community’s commitment to investing in our students, our schools, and our city’s future. This outcome means stability for our classrooms, support for our educators, and the resources our students deserve.”
City Council and School Committee
The City Council At Large race saw newcomer Jason Chen pull in the most votes - over 6,800, or 26.4% of total votes cast. (In financial terms, he also significantly outraised and outspent the other candidates in the At Large race, including the two incumbents.)
Chen said: “I’m focused on continuing to earn the trust of all Melrose residents, whether you voted for me, the override, or not. For my next steps, I am doing my homework on how to ensure our precious tax dollars are spent prudently and effectively in the coming months and years. We need to be able to debate this openly, rigorously, and respectfully to earn public confidence in our city budget. We also need to face up to affordability, not only with our neighbors who will struggle with the increased tax burden, but also those who were already struggling in this economy.”
Incumbents Maya Jamaleddine and Ryan Williams took second and third place, with 5,455 and 5,170 votes, or 21% and 20%, respectively. Newcomer Elizabeth Kowal received 4,324 votes, or 16.7% of the total, putting her in fourth place and earning her a seat on the City Council, while newcomer Dionysios Kaskarelis received 4,083 votes, or 15.8% of the total, and did not win a seat.
Jamaleddine said: “I am deeply honored and grateful to have been re-elected to serve my fourth term as Melrose City Councilor At-Large. I’m especially proud of Melrose for coming together to pass the override. This is an important step toward ensuring that our schools, public safety, library, senior services, and all city departments have the resources they need to serve our residents well. Together, we are investing in Melrose’s future, and I look forward to continuing to work collaboratively to move our city forward with transparency, equity, and care for all.”
Williams said: “Tuesday saw the highest turnout of any municipal election in the last 10-plus years. Voters sent a clear message about what they want for this city and who they want to oversee it. I'm excited to be back for my third term and I'm looking forward to working with the new team.”
Kowal said: “For those whom I had the privilege of speaking with, you will see that I am the same person on the Council as the person you met during the campaign. I will be accessible, visible, open and honest and accountable to you. I did not campaign on issues just because they were "popular" or to get elected. If I talked about it or wrote about it, it's because those issues are important to me and from what I heard, to many of you.”
Members of the Yes for Melrose campaign at the Knights of Columbus, hearing the election results
Photo Credit: Nancy Clover
Ward 1 councilor Manjula Karamcheti, Ward 2 councilor John Obremski, Ward 5 councilor Kim Vandiver, and Ward 6 councilor Cal Finocchiaro were all running unopposed, and retained their seats.
In Ward 3, newcomer Christopher Park took a surprising 60.4% of the vote, defeating incumbent Robb Stewart. In Ward 4, Brad Freeman won an even greater 62% of the vote, defeating both Ward Hamilton and Philip Gindi.
Park said: “I’m excited for this new chapter — an override passed, fresh faces on the Council, and the work that lies ahead. I’m up to the challenges you’ve raised and my door is open to everyone - in Ward 3 and across Melrose.”
Freeman said: “Melrose voters spoke resoundingly about their priorities for our community and I look forward to working on the Council to ensure that we focus on funding that benefits all Melrosians, including reinvesting in our schools, rebuilding our roads, and restoring community programming. As I often said during the campaign, I am eager to work with everyone to build Melrose’s future together.”
Ward 7’s City Council race was much closer - after a long, hard-fought race, incumbent Devin Romanul earned 52% of the vote, beating out challenger Alex Rodriguez by just 73 votes to keep his seat on the Council.
Romanul said: “To the voters of Ward 7: thank you for your faith in me. I’m excited to continue collaborating with my colleagues on the City Council and to keep serving our city with integrity and energy. With the passage of the override, we now have a critical opportunity to rebuild and strengthen Melrose’s core city services. I look forward to being part of a Council that works hard to make that vision real for every resident.”
On the School Committee, the three top vote earners were all quite close: Melissa Holleran earned 5,650 votes; incumbent Jennifer Razi-Thomas earned 5,108 votes; and Sheri Leo earned 5,061 votes. Camarie Clark, who did not earn a seat, was farther behind, at 3,556 votes.
Holleran said: “I look forward to collaborating with my fellow School Committee members to make thoughtful choices for our students, educators and schools. We were fortunate enough to pass the override at the highest level of funding and I look forward to working with all of our elected officials to ensure you see your tax dollars hard at work.”
Razi-Thomas said: “I am so grateful to know that a large majority of citizens decided that it was time to give greater resources to our schools and our city services. This investment will stabilize our schools and help us plan for the next three years as we navigate great changes in our education system and in our larger world. Melrose is a special city that cares for its children and all of its citizens. I am so happy, proud and honored to serve another term on the Melrose School Committee.”
Leo said: “Voters sent a clear message: Melrose is a community that believes in our shared future. We are excited to build together, invest in our city and schools, and shoulder our responsibility to the next generation. I am grateful to the people of Melrose for taking this bold step. As a new School Committee Member, I will continue to listen, learn, and share with all of you as we work to allocate the new funds for students and schools.”
