HADLEY — Two Proposition 2½ tax-cap override amounts will come before voters this spring, with the larger $1.5 million override sufficient to keep intact a dozen positions at the public schools that would otherwise be eliminated.
The Select Board and Finance Committee, at a bi-board meeting Wednesday, April 8, agreed to present residents at annual Town Meeting next month a $22.37 million budget that is $1.5 million below maintaining level services across municipal and school departments.
Along with that no-override budget, though, will be two potential override budgets. One would depend on a $1.5 million override, to ensure level school and municipal services, as well as possibly restoring two firefighter/ paramedic positions previously lost.
The other would depend on a $750,000 override that would still necessitate cuts, though officials estimate an additional $640,000 is needed to avoid reductions at the schools, while $300,000 would cover the salary and benefits for two additional fire personnel.
The Select Board is expected to have a formal override presentation at its April 22 meeting and a discussion of the Town Meeting warrant at its April 29 meeting. Both would be held at 7 p.m. at the Hadley Senior Center.
The decision to present two override figures came after Select Board members batted around ideas about how to proceed, after a $2.25 million override failed last September. That prompted cuts to the fire department, as well as shutting down the human resources department.
But Select Board members didn’t indicate yet how the overrides will be presented, as simple lump sums or whether there would be a menu of options.
Select Board Chairman Randy Izer said any override needs to spell out where the money is going. While he is opposed to a menu override that would give residents choices in directing money to specific budgets, he said residents may be more supportive of this.
Still, he said the town and schools have to act as one. “We are a joint entity, we all need to work together,” Izer said.
Holding a similar view is board member Jane Nevinsmith, who said while senior citizens may be paying for children’s education, it is younger families whose taxes help support the Senior Center.
“It’s a community, it’s not individual things pitted against each other,” Nevinsmith said, adding that the town will go downhill fast if the override isn’t supported.
Nevinsmith also rejected the idea that the budgetary problems are caused by overspending, pointing out that many area communities are in a similar situation. “It’s not mismanagement on Hadley’s part,” Nevinsmith said.
Select Board member Molly Keegan said she doesn’t want to go for an all or nothing override, as was done last time, or back into a particular number. Keegan said she is in favor of giving people multiple options as they vote.
A progressive number might be the best approach, said Select Board member Amy Parsons, while Select Board member David J. Fill II said there may need to be separate warrant articles, such as the $640,000 for the schools, $300,000 for fire and $300,000 for geenral government.
Finance Committee member Paul Mokrzecki said officials need to keep the override as simple as possible. He is concerned about following the lead of South Hadley, which is presenting different amounts, with the money also spread out for use over a period of years.
“If people get confused, they’re going to shut down and not vote for this,” Mokrzecki said.
Finance Committee member Peter Matuszko said to get voters to support an override, they need to understand what is being funded and the impact on their taxes, and for a reasonable amount to be presented. “It all comes down to not getting a no,” Matuszko said.
Even with agreement on the amounts being sought, Finance Committee Chairwoman Amy Fyden said municipal salaries may have risen too fast and that’s how the town got to this place, with the addition of steps and longevity bonuses.
“It’s something that needs to be discussed long term on how to keep up,” Fyden said.
Keegan said collective bargaining agreements are in effect and without an override, the alternative is a never ending cycle of cuts.
Superintendent Anne McKenzie said that the $640,000 for the schools would stave off the loss of 11.6 full-time equivalent staff, but that overall staffing remains similar to the 2019-2020 school year.
In 2020, the schools had 50 full-time equivalent teachers, in 2026 they have 50.8, and in 2020, the schools had 25 educational support professionals, they now have 30, though some increase is attributed to federal and state special education requirements and need for one-to-one staff members.
McKenzie said there’s no way to reduce spending without adverse affects to the preschool, special eduation and extracurriculars. “It would have devastating consequences for the schools,” McKenzie said.
During a public comment period, those affiliated with the schools were among those making appeals for keeping the school budget intact.
“If we don’t fund our schools, and if we don’t fund our teachers, then it’s just a snowball effect down the road as to what our town is going to look like,” said Shannon Brown of Crestview Drive, the mother of two toddlers.
“Our future is in our schools and by funding our preschool program and keeping our special education budget in place, we are bringing in tons of kids from school choice, which shows a desire to live in Hadley,” said Laura Nagle of Edgewood Terrace.
Lyndsey Roberts of South Deerfield, who teaches at Hopkins Academy, has two children who go to Hadley Elementary School. Roberts spoke to the importance of education, as well as public safety, for the learning environment.
“I see not just what the school is doing, but what the fire and police do,” Roberts said.
Ruthann Fitzgibbons of Hadley, also a teacher at Hopkions, said the public should know what will be lost in each of the scenarios, as well as how much more will it cost taxpayers should either override pass.
Nancy Bandman of High Meadow Road said that fire, police and public works protect the community safety, and those who work at Town Hall are also essential.
“We’re all one town, and I think we really just need to say, ‘don’t beat up on one another, we’re all in it together,'” Bandman said. “We need this override.”
