DANVERS — With Beverly and Salem poised to vote on a merger of the region's vocational programs, Lt. Gov. Timothy Murray last night applauded the North Shore Chamber of Commerce for its support of the roughly $130 million project.

"I know that it has been a priority of this chamber and one which it championed. I want to congratulate you all for that commitment," Murray said to applause from the more than 500 business leaders assembled for the chamber's 91st annual dinner at the Crowne Plaza Boston North Shore (the former Sheraton Ferncroft Resort).

Murray's speech touched on the administration's support for much-needed North Shore projects, including commuter-rail parking garages in Salem and Beverly and a new, $69 million library to replace the crumbling one at Salem State College.

Murray lauded the chamber for its support of the merger of Essex Agricultural and Technical High, North Shore Technical High and Peabody's high school vocational programs.

"This isn't a cookie-cutter project or a cookie-cutter merger, as we would say, and a lot of people have their fingerprints on making this work," Murray said, citing Gov. Deval Patrick and Senate Majority Leader Fred Berry, D-Peabody, for their support on Beacon Hill.

"He said to our team ... 'Find a way to get this done,'" Murray said Patrick told top state finance officials.

"And Fred Berry," Murray said, "I think he had everybody in the executive branch on speed-dial once a week." Berry was sitting with other board members on the dais.

"I'm glad that he recognized the efforts that everybody on the North Shore put into that voke effort," said Danvers Selectman Dan Bennett, a member of the merger's temporary oversight board and an Essex Aggie trustee.

If approved, the approximately 1,400-student school would be built on Essex Aggie's Danvers campus, with the state paying up to $98.6 million. Communities that join would pay the rest.

For the district to be formed, approvals are needed from 75 percent of North Shore Technical High's enrollment. While there are 16 communities in this district, approvals by Danvers, Beverly, Salem and Gloucester can seal the merger.

However, the project faces a looming Dec. 15 deadline.

Danvers and Rockport have already voted to join, and Middleton did so Tuesday night, said Danvers Town Manager Wayne Marquis, chairman of the merger's temporary oversight committee.

The Gloucester City Council approved the merger Tuesday, despite reservations about its cost from Mayor Carolyn Kirk. (Peabody voted in, but its vote does not help with the formation of the district.)

That leaves Salem and Beverly, and Salem's City Council takes up the merger tonight. Last night, Mayor Kim Driscoll anticipated it would pass unanimously.

Beverly, then, would be the community to "put it over the top," Beverly Mayor Bill Scanlon said. "We are going to vote next Monday, and we are very optimistic."

New leadership

Last night, TD Bank's regional director of wealth management for New England, the Cuban-born Rosalin Acosta, 46, of Amesbury, became the new chairwoman of the chamber. She replaced outgoing chairman Wayne Burton, the president of North Shore Community College.

"For me, it's very touching and it's very important," Acosta said about becoming the chamber's chairwoman. She planned to emphasize education, diversity and retaining an educated work force.

Staff writer Ethan Forman can be reached at 978-338-2673 or eforman@salemnews.com.