SOUTHAMPTON — Town Meeting voters supported a $110,000 override Tuesday to fund additional staff and necessary supplies for the William E. Norris School.
The tax levy increase will require majority approval in a townwide vote, which is tentatively scheduled for Thursday, June 29.
School officials say the $4 million budget for the school is a “level-service” one, meaning they can continue to offer the same services, but cannot fund supplies, curriculum materials and additional staff.
“We are net-funded at the lowest possible level,” School Committee Chairwoman Erin Couture said.
In addition to supplies and curriculum materials, the override would allow the elementary school to fund the positions of a special education team leader and a math interventionist.
“Translated into tax dollars this would mean an increase of 16 cents per $1,000 assessed value of your home, or for example $40 for a $250,000 assessment,” the School Committee wrote in an email to parents urging them to support the override.
Approximately 150 people turned out to the Norris School for the meeting.
For the Norris School, voters also approved an article to create a stabilization fund for special-needs expenses and appropriated $65,000 from Community Preservation Act funds for playground equipment.
The fiscal 2018 budget of $16,182,192 recommended at Town Meeting, a 2.4 percent increase, gave department heads such as the town clerk, fire chief, highway superintendent and treasurer substantial salary increases.
Select Board member John Martin said the board compared wages in other towns to determine appropriate increases for Southampton’s top officials.
“We don’t want to lose them to other towns because we don’t pay them enough,” Martin said.
But on Tuesday, the Finance Committee presented an alternative budget and proposed an amendment making adjustments to eight salary and expense lines, without changing revenue projections. Voters passed the amended budget.
The committee reduced salaries that were recommended by the Select Board, but still left them each with a 5 percent increase from fiscal 2017.
For the highway superintendent, the Select Board recommended the salary be increased from $71,267 to $85,000. The Finance Committee changed that to $74,830.
The amended budget gives Norris School a $17,338 increase and also increases the budget for the health department wages, library wages, and emergency management expenses.
The Finance Committee did not change the Select Board’s recommendation for the town administrator’s wage, which will increase from $58,262 to $80,000. While Southampton does not have a permanent town administrator, the wage line on the budget is a placeholder as officials plan to have one appointed within the year.
Voters approved three articles involving transfers of CPA funds for the restoration of Revolutionary and Civil War grave sites and stones. One measure is a transfer of $10,000 to the Historical Commission to match funds for a grant from the State Historical Records Advisory Board.
Voters also approved a measure to authorize the Select Board to acquire an easement for the first phase of the Glendale Road project — replacing pavement and other landscaping and reconstruction work to the road. The warrant describes the project as “one of the largest and most expensive infrastructure projects in the history of the town.” The project will be entirely funded by the Transportation Improvement Program (TIP) of the Pioneer Valley Metropolitan Planning Organization.
Voters approved an article placed on the warrant by citizen petition to change the Town Meeting procedure, so that the Select Board and microphone for speakers face the voters. It passed on a 95-60 vote.
“It’s not about one man. It’s about the town,” one resident said.
However, Moderator Robert Floyd disagreed, stating it was contrary to proper procedure of Town Meeting.
Voters tabled a wetland protection bylaw, but passed the right-to-farm bylaw that “encourages the pursuit of agriculture, promotes agriculture-based economic opportunities and protects farmlands with the Town of Southampton by allowing agricultural uses and related activities to function with minimal conflict with abutters and town agencies,” the warrant states.
Caitlin Ashworth can be reached at cashworth@gazettenet.com.