EASTHAMPTON — Easthampton will hold a special election on June 9 to vote on a proposed $6.9 million Proposition 2 ½ override, which would increase property taxes but likely save crucial services throughout the city.
The City Council officially voted unanimously on the date during its April 27 special meeting.
According to the city, the proposed $6.9 million override and increase to property taxes was recommended by a Budget Task Force assembled by Mayor Salem Derby that was led by the chairs of the Finance Committee, School Committee and Board of Assessors.
Easthampton is facing a budget deficit of $6.4 million for its fiscal year 2027 projections, and Derby explained that the $6.9 million override — plus an additional $1.5 million from the city’s stabilization fund — will help meet that gap and create a new path of sustainability for the community so city officials don’t have to come back for another override ask next year.
The deficit has been exacerbated because of inflation costs, specifically significant increases in special education and transportation costs, along with health insurance. Derby added that the override and additional city funding would help prevent mass layoffs and disruptions in city services.
“I think it’s really important for us to recognize that times are not easy right now. Gas, food, everything costs more, and asking for more money right now is a significant ask, and I don’t think it’s responsible for the city to say, ‘well, we need this amount of money, please give it to us,’ without us saying, ‘well, what can we do to sacrifice,’” Derby told Reminder Publishing. “Really, we need $8 to $8.5 million, but we’re only going to ask for $6.9 [million], and we’re going to make up the rest. We’re gonna cut, shave, and trim things and go without if we’re gonna ask other people to do the same. I think it’s only fair for us to say, ‘we’re in this together.’”
Derby told Reminder Publishing this recommendation for the override is a “shared sacrifice” for the community and noted this override ask is $2.1 million less than the lowest proposal from South Hadley’s failed override ballot in April.
While an approved $6.9 million override would help bridge the gap in the budget, Derby said the city will still be looking at potential cuts to save money and set a new standard in budgeting for the city moving forward. If the override were to fail, cuts would become “catastrophic,” according to the mayor. Derby is set to present two budgets for both potential outcomes to the City Council on May 6.
While South Hadley failed to pass both a $9 million and $11 million override, the town is currently looking to have a second special election for a new override. Derby said if Easthampton voters decide not to pass this upcoming override vote, the implications on schools and municipal positions would be similar to what the anticipated impact is in South Hadley.
“Similar to South Hadley, we’d have to cut a significant number of teachers, all specials disappear, sports disappear,” Derby said. “It’s going to hit the schools the hardest for sure. And I think one of the things we wanted to do was we wanted to come in and say listen, we could’ve been like South Hadley and asked for $9 [million], but we were like, we need to be as respectful as we can be, and that’s why we reduced $2.1 million less than what South Hadley’s lowest ask was, because we are acknowledging the fact that that’s a lot of money, and that we saw that other communities are struggling with trying to do that, so we want to find that middle ground where we’ll sacrifice, the taxpayers will have to sacrifice, and then we can kind of come together to make a plan going forward.”
Derby explained during the council’s special meeting that the median house in Easthampton is valued at $418,000, and the passing of this override would lead to an average increase in property taxes of $1,200 a year, $99.97 a month and $3.27 a day.
Derby told Reminder Publishing that if the override passes, it would give Easthampton a little room to breathe so that they are not in the position of coming back with another override ask next year, allowing for the city to get through the near term without devastating cuts.
Additionally, Derby said that because many municipalities face similar budgeting issues, it would be beneficial for the state to assist in some way down the line in order to make a fundamental change to operations.
In the meantime, Derby said the city is committed to exploring every revenue option and will go line by line through each department’s budget to see where savings are possible.
“Like I said, from my perspective, it’s about finding more revenue and leaving no stone unturned. It’s about cutting costs and trimming away things that we kind of don’t need,” Derby said. “I think it’s really important for us to shift our mindset. We’re not going with the status quo, we’re not gonna do things that’ve always been done. We’re gonna innovate, find new ways to bring more money in, find new ways to save money, and find ways to elevate Easthampton so we can become the city that everyone wants to live in, but also can live in.”
Derby added, “We want to be showing people that you know what, we may be down, but we’re not out.”
City Council President Koni Denham told Reminder Publishing that the City Council will use budget season to look for additional costs and ways of saving. She added that she has concerns that some residents will be naturally priced out regardless of the override’s passing. She said it was vital for the community to have the most vulnerable in mind when budgeting.
“One of the reasons I moved to Easthampton was because it’s an economically diverse community. I can see that, I can feel that. That’s why I moved here, because I wanted to be in a community where anyone could live. And this, I question the future of that and whether or not that diversity economically, if that’s going to be continued or sustainable within the community,” said Denham.
Denham also called for more state support moving forward, adding that the region specifically is struggling to keep up with inflation and the change of costs.
“Do I think that we need more state aid? Absolutely, because Western Mass., it’s not sustainable. We can’t keep up with the same prices that are in Boston. When you have people who are moving from those places, and they have built up a lot of equity, and they sell their homes, and they’re moving out this way, it’s driving up all of our costs, and the people who live here have nowhere to go,” said Denham.
“Absolutely, we need more support from the state, especially for our schools. Education is an economic driver, so it needs more support. Particularly for small communities like Easthampton, we don’t have a lot of industry. We really need our schools to be well-funded, and we also need people who have lived here their entire life. People are proud of that. They were born here and want to die here. Those folks need support too, and small communities like Easthampton can’t continue just to tax residents because it’s driving people out.”
According to the city’s election turnout records, the last time Easthampton had a special city election was in 2010 to vote on the Easthampton High School debt exclusion. Before then, it was in 2001 to vote on the Aquifer referendum.
Denham added that this situation has led to high stress for the community at large and that the council is ready to step up and work hard to find a resolution to the city’s financial outlook.
“We’re city councilors, but we’re residents too, and these are our neighbors, and we care about them, and we’re trying to figure that out, so they should know the days of City Council rubber-stamping things, allowing passes, letting things go, and just saying ‘oh well, it makes sense to me,’ those days are gone. Residents should know that we are going to do everything we can to make sure that Easthampton stays affordable,” said Denham.
Derby said he will share more specific details on the potential impacts from cuts, both with and without the override passing, when he presents the budget options on May 6 to the City Council.
“This is not the place I wanted to find myself in the first few months of my first term. But really, the can has been kicked down the road. It’s time for us to deal with this issue and not extend it any further, and I really hope that people can recognize the really amazing work the people in the city do to provide services that are valuable and that protect a lot of our most vulnerable people, our kids, our senior citizens, keeping our roads clear,” said Derby. “Really, I want people to get as much information as they can and know that we’re going to try to be as forthright and forthcoming with information as we can be.”
