Yarmouth voted to approve the project upgrading the Royal River Pump Station and a $7.5 million bond to fund the project. The item passed with 2791 votes for it and 1378 votes against it.

The pump, located near the Rowe School and last upgraded in 1992, handles two-thirds of the town’s wastewater. It exceeded capacity in January 2024 and overflowed into the Royal River, with following studies finding that it was operating near maximum capacity due to the town’s population growth.

In August, the Yarmouth Town Council unanimously approved a six-month development moratorium on certain areas of Yarmouth, giving time for the pump to be upgraded to handle more flow. Following its approval the moratorium will likely be extended several times, as the new sewage pump is expected to be completed in three years.

The Yarmouth Town Council stated it intends to not require an increase in property taxes in the fiscal year 2027 to pay for the bond, allocating approximately $500,000 in TIF revenues toward the project this year.

This vote comes a year after Yarmouth voters approved upgrading the Harbor Pump Station as part of an infrastructure bond for $7 million in a project that is now underway.

Yarmouth also voted, 2,976 to 764, to approve a referendum to extend the time limitation for citizens to gain the necessary signatures to overrule a Town Council ordinance with a petition from 10 days to 30 days. This item was brought to the ballot by a citizen initiative.

Additionally, Yarmouth voted to repeal and replace the charter of the Yarmouth Water District. The action — also voted on by North Yarmouth — serves to simplify the document, modernize its language and update the processes it dictates.