Tuesday’s 165-vote defeat of a proposed $44.75 million police station left city leaders to dissect the public opposition and to plan another path to replace the cramped, obsolete 44-year-old police headquarters. Was the price tag too high on the heels of last year’s approval of a massive $385 million school reconstruction project? Were voters objecting to the top proposed location behind the Rose City Senior Center? Did the city rush to place the item on the Nov. 7 referendum ballot with little chance for public comment and ideas? In October, the City Council agreed to buy the vacant Ox Hill Road property ― before the referendum ― for $385,000 using federal American Rescue Plan Act grant money. Voters a year ago overwhelmingly approved the $385 million school construction project to replace the current seven aging elementary schools with four new school buildings. The city will go out to bid soon for the first two school buildings, and taxpayers will begin to pay the debt service for the bonds in their property taxes.
https://www.theday.com/local-news/20231108/norwich-officials-to-discuss-next-steps-after-voters-reject-new-police-station/