Potential tax override and electric light facility highlight April 14 election

SOUTH HADLEY — South Hadley will host its Town Election on Tuesday, April 14, featuring multiple contested races and a major Proposition 2 1/2 tax override vote on the ballot.

Residents will have the opportunity to vote in person on Election Day at South Hadley High School, 153 Newton St. Residents can also vote by mail or in-person early voting in the town clerk’s office.

To vote in South Hadley, you must be registered at your address at least 10 days before the election or primary. For any questions, readers can reach out to the town clerk’s office at 413-538-5030, ext. 6183, or email at elections@southhadleyma.gov.

The town hosted a Know Your Town: Candidate’s Night on March 19 to allow residents to get to know most of the people running for each position.

The election features two contested races. Four candidates are vying for two seats on the Selectboard. Incumbent Nicole Casolari hopes to secure another term, while newcomers Kevin Hennessey, David King and Priscilla Marion will look to join the board.

Selectboard member Andrea Miles is not running for reelection after serving on the board for nine years.

The other contested race on the ballot is Housing Authority. Incumbent John Duda will take on challenger Richard Matteson in that race.

The remaining races on the ballot are unopposed, including the School Committee, Free Public Library Trustees, Board of Health, Municipal Light Board, Board of Assessors and Planning Board. Tracie Kennedy hopes to return to the School Committee after filling Dan Vieau’s vacated seat since September 2025. Newcomer Nicholas Prentiss also submitted papers for the School Committee, with two seats available for two candidates.

For the Free Public Library Trustee positions, there are three three-year seats available. Susan Crowther, David Morrell and Gillian Woldorf are all listed on the ballot for those roles. David Solender-Clark is running for the one-year trustee position.

John Hine is running unopposed as an incumbent with the Municipal Light Board, and Kevin Taugher is running unopposed as an incumbent with the Board of Assessors.

There are also several vacant spots on the ballot. Both Planning Board Chair Karen Walsh Pio and Board of Health Chair Diane Supczak-Mulvaney are running for reelection for their respective boards, but both boards have an additional upcoming vacancy with no residents listed on the ballot.

Voters will also vote for various Town Meeting members based on the precinct they live in.

Aside from voting for their preferred elected officials, residents will see two tax override options on the Election Day ballot: the $9 million option or the $11 million option.

Voters may vote for or against each question independently. A majority is required for one of the questions to pass. If both questions pass, the $11 million override will prevail.

Each question will read “Shall the Town of South Hadley be allowed to assess an additional $____ in real estate and personal property taxes for the purposes of operating the Municipal Government and Public Schools for the fiscal year beginning July 1, 2026?”

The blank will have $9 million as one option and $11 million as the other. Residents will vote either yes or no.

The final item listed on the ballot is a non-binding question to see if the town will support the construction of a $36.5 million South Hadley Electric Lighting Department facility.

The town hosted a Know Your Town: SHELD building forum on March 12, which can be found on South Hadley’s community TV website.

SHELD General Manager Sean Fitzgerald and Municipal Light Board Chair John Hine discussed the project, which would relocate the town’s electrical utility building, located at 85 Main St., to a new headquarters on Williamansett Street near the Big Y supermarket.

The current facility is located in a 100-year flood zone that is getting more expensive to operate each year.

Although the item will be listed on the ballot as a nonbinding question, the project has advanced through the approval process, and the town hopes the project will be completed in 2027. The Municipal Light Board has submitted its notice of intent to the Conservation Commission, and SHELD will appear before the Planning Board in April.