Yes volunteers Amy Speare, left, and Barbara Goodman beam after the vote was known.For what $6.5m adds back, see below

Voters approved The $6.5 million tax override by 860 votes in a special election on Tuesday, June 7. The tally for yes was 7,226 (53%), while no received 6,366 votes (47%), according to unofficial returns. See the precinct results here >>

The results were known at the Masonic Temple, where those involved with Yes for Arlington gathered, at 8:15 p.m., 15 minutes after the polls closed.

As poll monitors called in totals for both sides from Arlington's 21 precincts, the increasingly crowded room cheered or emitted groans depending on the numbers reflected on the wall. At one point, the no side held an 88-point lead, before precincts one through seven were called in.

Town website, June 9: Board of Selectmen thanks voters
May 29: 2 sides OK contract | June 2: Campaign-finance reports |
Globe, June 3: Online impact | June 6: Town Hall sign "edited"

Later, as the din in the room increased, some called for quiet after the call from Precinct 12 came in. "Let's go 12," someone said.

The loudest cheer of the evening erupted as the numbers were called out for 12: 675 for yes, 337 for no.

Yes supporters watch results come in.

"You just made $6 million," Clarissa Rowe, the selectmen chair and cochair of Yes for Arlington, told the volunteers she praised for their work on the two-month campaign.

"We are really, really grateful," she added.

Opposition comments

Charles Simas, head of the Coalition for Responsible Spending, was asked to comment on his group's efforts during the campaign.

Reached at home on the afternoon of Wednesday, June 8, Simas said: "The voters have spoken. No sense crying over spilled milk .... No sour grapes."

He praised the volunteers who helped the effort to defeat the tax override. "The group was fantastic," he said. "I can't see anything we did wrong."

"The voters love taxes," he said, referring to the outcome.

As to the turnout at the Sons of Italy, he said not as many turned out as he would have liked.

With town officials saying they would seek no override for another three years, he said the group would have its signs ready to go, as they have no specific date.

Voter turnout appeared to be running higher than usual on Election Day. About noon, Selectman Diane Mahon reported that 502 had voted in Precinct 12 and 409 in Precinct 14.

Of 29,179 registered voetsr, 13,593 cast ballots, or 46 percent.

Results from the April election showed 1,554 registered in 12 and 1,343 in 14. By comparison, in April, 632 voted in the former and 303 in the latter.

The last Arlington override was in 2005, and it passed, 7,126 to 6,570. The turnout was 48 percent.

The 2003 override, which failed, had turnout of 52 percent. Of 27,699 registered voters, 14,529 voted. The results: no, 7,573; yes, 6,886.

What the $6.5 million adds back

Here are the the recommendations from the town Finance Committee showing what the override money adds back to town and schools:

Finance Committee, restore expense budget to FY11 levels, $475 

Town Manager, restore staff hours to FY11 levels, $12,033 

Personnel, add part-time clerical position, $20,243, and restore training budget, $13,000 

Information Technology, restore expense budget to FY11 levels, $10,000 

Comptroller, restore phone operator hours, $14,394, and restore expense budget to FY11 levels, $4,394

Treasurer, restore expense budget to FY11 levels,  $12,578

Legal, restore expense budget to FY11 levels, $4,003

Clerk, restore expense budget to FY11 levels, $2,760 

Planning & Community Development, add economic development coordinator, $70,939 

Public Works: $237,215 (detailed below)

Restore two laborers, one tree climber, two MEO, two PMC, $434,994

Public Works, admin, $40,000 Fuel price increases 

Public Works, Properties/Natural Resources, $20,000 Green repairs 

Contract groundskeeping services, $110,000

Public Works, sanitation/highway,$ 27,779, snow and ice 

Road repairs, $400,000 

Community Safety, Police: Restore one captain, one sergeant, one lieutenant and four patrol officers, $337,595 

Fuel price increases, $20,000 

Community Safety, Fire: $160,446

Restore three firefighters, $232,414 

Restore lieutenant, $62,968 

Fuel price increases, $9,000

Education: Restores teachers, administration, expenses, etc., $3,234,600

Libraries: Restore Assistant Director, increase library assistant and page hours, $144,334

Human Services, Administration, $29,396

Restore part-time health compliance officer, $29,396

Human Services, Council on Aging, Restore part-time social worker, $18,179

Health insurance, Additional for restored positions, $244,613 

Health insurance, savings from plan design changes or GIC, $1 million

Unemployment insurance, fewer layoffs, savings of $500,000

Youth services, increase subsidy (client revenue projection decreased $20,000)

Other recommendations, $110,311 

Override Stabilization Fund, for use in years 2013 and 2014, $2,603,139 

This story was first published at 9:30 p.m. Tuesday, June 7, 2011, and updated June 8 and 9.