THE COST TO YOU
What Cape Cod families actually pay — and what they’re asking you to add
Three permanent tax increases and a sanctuary resolution. All on one ballot. May 19, 2026.
THE COMBINED TAX HIT
Questions 1, 2, and 3 on the May 19 ballot are all permanent Proposition 2½ overrides. No sunset clause. No expiration. Once passed, they compound at 2.5% annually — forever. Here is what all three cost together.
| Question | Override Amount | What It Funds |
|---|---|---|
| Question 1 | $1,481,348 | Dennis-Yarmouth Regional School District operating budget |
| Question 2 | $680,194 | Cape Cod Regional Technical High School operating budget |
| Question 3 | $1,260,000 | New Yarmouth public library construction debt |
| TOTAL | $3,421,542 | Three permanent overrides — one ballot |
Yarmouth average single-family home: $710,000
CAN YOU ACTUALLY AFFORD THIS?
Before you vote to give the government more of your money, look at what it already costs a Cape Cod family just to survive. No vacations. No restaurants. No savings. Just the bare minimum to keep a roof over your head and food on the table.
CAPE COD SURVIVAL BUDGET
Family of three — single parent, two children. No luxuries. Bare minimum.
| Expense | Monthly | Annual |
|---|---|---|
| Mortgage / Rent | $2,700 | $32,400 |
| Property Tax | $592 | $7,100 |
| Electric | $400 | $4,800 |
| Gas / Heating | $400 | $4,800 |
| Groceries (family of 3) | $975 | $11,700 |
| Health Insurance (employer plan) | $450 | $5,400 |
| Car Insurance (up 300% in 4 years) | $200 | $2,400 |
| Gas for Car ($60/week to commute) | $260 | $3,120 |
| Phone | $200 | $2,400 |
| Internet (no cable — can’t afford it) | $85 | $1,020 |
| Car Payment (used car, nothing fancy) | $375 | $4,500 |
| Water / Sewer / Trash | $125 | $1,500 |
| TOTAL — BARE MINIMUM | $6,762 | $81,140 |
This budget does not include: clothing, school supplies, childcare, savings, an emergency fund, entertainment, dining out, birthday presents, Christmas gifts, car repairs, home maintenance, medical copays, dental work, or a single steak dinner.
WHERE THE MONEY ACTUALLY GOES
They tell you these overrides fund schools and libraries. They don’t tell you what’s actually driving the costs.
| Hidden Cost Driver | Impact |
|---|---|
| 371 ELL students in Dennis-Yarmouth schools | $1.69 million/year (~$4,555 per student) in English Language Learner services — funded by local property taxes |
| Cape Cod Tech enrollment spike | Yarmouth received 30% of 9th grade seats vs. 19% historical average — temporary anomaly driving a permanent override |
| $128M new school already built | Taxpayers funded a brand new Cape Cod Tech in 2017. Building debt already in your assessment. Now they want more. |
| State unfunded mandates | Beacon Hill creates the policies. Your property taxes pay for them. The state reimburses pennies on the dollar. |
The people these policies are designed to help receive EBT cards, MassHealth, Section 8 housing vouchers, and free school meals — all funded by your property taxes. When was the last time you could afford a steak? They buy them with your tax dollars at the grocery store while you’re calculating whether you can make ground beef stretch to Thursday.
THEY’RE NOT DONE TAKING
Your auto insurance has tripled in four years. Green vehicle mandates drove up repair costs. Massachusetts issued driver’s licenses to individuals who cannot prove legal residency — many of whom drive uninsured. When they cause an accident, your uninsured motorist coverage pays. And the district attorneys and sheriffs installed by the same political machine refuse to coordinate with federal immigration authorities. Your premiums absorb the risk that law enforcement won’t enforce.
Beacon Hill wants to tax every mile you drive. Senate Bill S.2404 establishes a vehicle mileage user fee pilot program — a per-mile driving tax. It received a favorable committee recommendation and was referred to Senate Ways and Means in February 2026. Oregon and Utah already test rates of 1.5–1.9 cents per mile. You already spend $260/month just getting to work on a peninsula with no public transit. They want to meter that too.
Massachusetts is hemorrhaging residents. Net domestic outmigration accelerates every year. Working families leave because they cannot afford to stay. The tax base shrinks while spending grows. The math has only one outcome — and you are on the wrong side of it if you stay and keep voting yes.
Liberals think conservatives can’t do math. It’s literally why we’re conservatives — it’s in the name. We conserve. We budget. We plan. And when the numbers don’t add up, we say no.
Vote NO on all four questions. May 19, 2026.
Sources: 2026 Annual Town Meeting Warrant, U.S. Census Bureau ACS 2023, USDA Thrifty Food Plan, MA Division of Insurance, MA Legislature S.2404. Paid for by the Cape Cod Coalition for Safe Communities for Citizens.