Select Board Chair John Flynn thanks retired Police Chief Scott Trombly for his more than three decades with the town.
Reminder Publishing photo by Sarah Heinonen
HAMPDEN — In a reminder that one vote can make a difference, an article at Hampden’s Nov. 3 Special Town Meeting on whether to add a local 6% excise tax on short-term rentals and lodging passed with a vote of 35-34.
The excise tax, eligible for adoption under state law, adds a 6% tax to the bill of vacationers and those staying at seven properties in Hampden.
Four of the rental locations are lodges at the GreatHorse country club. There are also two short-term rentals on Chapin Road and one on Glendale Road, Selectboard member Donald Davenport said during the meeting.
The Advisory Board recommended not approving the article. When asked why, Chair Doug Boyd said short-term rentals are prohibited under Hampden’s bylaws. Additionally, he said the owners already pay property taxes and should not be taxed a second time, but Davenport pointed out that the guests pay the excise tax, not the property owners. Massachusetts collects the local tax along with the state tax and sends the local revenue to the municipality each quarter.
The article, which required a simple majority to pass, was close enough that Town Moderator Richard Green called for a hand count, after which he declared the article approved.
There were several other articles on the warrant. All of those requiring funding were paid for through free cash, unused funding that was appropriated in a previous year. These included $300,000 to purchase and install an HVAC system in the new town hall, $38,000 to fulfill the full-time salary of the town’s facilities manager and $56,000 to buy out the remaining benefits for a retiring town employee.
One article amended a motion passed at the annual Town Meeting that provided funding for the Senior Center’s roof, septic system and bathrooms, to include the building’s HVAC system. Senior Center Building Committee Chair Gary Weiner explained that the building’s HVAC equipment failed in August. Two vendors recommended replacing the system instead of repairing it because it is near the end of its life and its refrigerant is no longer used.
Because the building serves as the town’s emergency heating and cooling center, it was determined that the HVAC system was a higher priority than the roof. By amending the vote from May, the town was able to use $120,000 that had been earmarked for the roof toward replacing the HVAC system. The next article transferred an additional $130,000 from free cash to fully fund the heating and cooling system, estimated at $250,000. Weiner cautioned voters that the roof project would be brought back for funding at a future Town Meeting.
Another article rectified a previous administrative error. Treasurer Dick Patullo explained that, at the 2024 Town Meeting, $650,000 was transferred from the town’s stabilization account at the fall to fund the water district. Because of an issue with the state, the funding was not allocated to the project and was certified as part of the town’s free cash this year. The article on this warrant completed the allocation.
No action was taken on articles that would have funded three pieces of equipment — a police cruiser, a front loader for the Highway Department and a pickup truck for the Parks & Recreation Department. The town pushed off the vehicles to save money, but as was the case with the Senior Center roof, voters were warned that those items were needed and would be sought at a future meeting.
