Selectboard sets $3.5 million tax override ballot question for Sept. 1

The Selectboard votes at its July 14 meeting to host a special town election on Sept. 1 to present a tax override question to the residents.
Photo credit: SHCTV15

SOUTH HADLEY — South Hadley voters will see a tax override question during the Sept. 1 state primary after the Selectboard voted 3-2 to ask the town to approve a $3.5 million override raised over three years.

The Selectboard and Appropriations Committee hosted a joint meeting on July 14 to discuss the override and ultimately come to a conclusion.

Their decision comes three months after the town’s voters decided against a $9 million and an $11 million override to save a bunch of city services.
The question voters will now see come Sept. 1 reads, “Shall the town of South Hadley be allowed to assess an additional $3.5 million in real estate and personal property taxes for the purpose of operating the municipal government and public schools for the fiscal year beginning July 1, 2026?”

According to previous reporting by Reminder Publishing, a $3.5 million tax override would fund the schools and library, maintain expenses cuts and add to the Stabilization Fund.

Before this question was finalized, multiple South Hadley committees hosted a joint meeting on April 21, where Wong proposed a $4.35 million override that would be raised over three years.

No decision was made on that proposal, and Wong explained the $4.35 million recommendation would have restored level funding to FY26 numbers for just about every department. Wong said that since that meeting, she and the town have had many discussions with each department to discuss their priorities.

Wong stated that the town is now asking for less because the town is presuming that they are going to operate with less while they look at continuous savings and efficiencies.

“The difference between the [$4.35 million] and the [$3.5 million] is that the other departments really are not going to get any restoration,” Wong explained. “That includes police, DPW, all of Town Hall, Council on Aging and potentially even parts of the library as well.”

Related: So That Reminds Me: Strife in South Hadley — a Small Town Budget Crisis with Big Stakes

Wong said that at its peak, Town Hall used to have close to 30 full-time equivalents. That has been reduced closer to 20 for fiscal year 2027 and might be reduced further. The Police Department’s authorized staffing level was reduced from 29 to 27 sworn officers.

“When people say cut the fat, we have cut. I think we’ve cut into the bone, cut into the muscle, and we’re continuing to do more, all in good faith, to show folks that we’re just going to try to live within our means,” Wong stated. “The $3.5 million that is before you is still an incredibly lean number. It still means that we have to reduce more services, more people, and we have to be innovative.”

The Selectboard viewed two different 5-year projections the town put together regarding revenues and expenditures; one with a $3.5 million override and one without. The town plans to implement the Budget Task Force recommendations regarding the PILOT program; consolidation of services, etc., in hopes to reduce the operating deficit moving forward.

Wong stated there were a lot of assumptions that went into the 5-year projections. When the town develops the FY28 budget, Wong said a number of variables could change some line items by hundreds of thousands of dollars, both in the positive and negative. Some variables include health insurance, School Choice, charter school tuition for students leaving the district and school contracts that have not yet been settled.

“There’s going to be a number of attempts at the town side to continue to reduce the cost of services.” Wong stated. “We are looking at additional retirements and/or attrition. Say, can we find another way to reorganize or have a lower-cost alternative? There are some grants that we’re looking at as well, but again, a lot of those come with strings, so it might be good now, but then we’re on the hook a couple years later. So, there’s a number of things that we’re evaluating.”

The Department of Local Services will analyze the town’s finances this summer to primarily study staff operations. Wong said there have been discussions about a finance director in lieu of the retiring town accountant. They will also look at the government structure and the difference between having a Finance Committee or a Appropriations Committee.

The Appropriations Committee did not take an official stance on whether they supported a tax override or not at the joint meeting. Committee Chair Thomas Terry stated that he felt it would be appropriate to allow the voters to make that decision.

“I think it would make the most sense to put that on the ballot, whether it be Sept. 1 or in April, that would have to be decided. But, in my opinion, I think that’s something that the voters should have an opportunity to weigh in on.”

At its July 6 meeting, the School Committee advocated for the override vote in September.

Selectboard Chair Jef Cyr stated that he is hopeful that this tax override vote passes. “I think it’s really important,” Cyr stated. “Like Lisa says, the impacts are going to be seen further and further as this fiscal year goes on, and [we] just [have] to be cognizant of what the next fiscal years are gong to look like after this. They’re going to be really, really tough without some kind of dollars added to our budgets.”