Marcellus Residents Reject Project

Local residents in Marcellus, New York voted against a referendum that would help fund the renovation of their city hall. 

This decision forces the town board to come up with a new renovation plan. 

The referendum would let the city borrow up to $3.2 million to renovate and expand the 90-year-old building. 

Many of the residents questioned whether a town of 6,300 people needed to spend that amount on its town hall. 

Town supervisor Dan Ross said if the town had bonded for $3.2 million at the current interest rates, the project would have a steep price for property owners. 

The renovation project would have cost roughly $50 a year per $100,000 of assessed property over the next 30 years. 

"We have to find a plan because something still needs to be done," Ross said. "If this plan is not acceptable, we'll work on something else." 

Ross and the town board had a work session on Thursday in order to create a new plan.