SOUTHAMPTON — A Southampton resident asked during Town Meeting Tuesday why there was an almost $110,000 increase in unemployment compensation included in the proposed budget for next year. The answer? That’s the amount the town is prepared to set aside to cover layoffs if a nearly half-million Proposition 2½ override doesn’t pass at the ballot box in two weeks.
Town Meeting passed the $16,480,135 proposed non-override budget on Tuesday evening, before passing the motion for the $493,163.41 override by majority and sending it onto the May 15 ballot.
“This override budget is the leanest override we could put together. There is no fat on it,” resident Matt Roland said. “If you want to have the same town you had this time last year, you need to vote for this override.”
Other residents said the override is a “band-aid” and that the town needs “a reset” when it comes to the budget; one person said the town needs to “take its medicine now,” and that an override is not a long term solution to budget deficits.
Another resident said that people won’t change their actions until they no longer have a choice, comparing the override to using plastic bags at the grocery store.
One resident said that 300 people shouldn’t speak for 6,000, referring to the people present at the Town Meeting compared to all the voters in Southampton, and urged passing the override onto the ballot to give all residents a chance to vote.
Town Administrator Ed Gibson said last week that the reduction in services for residents would be “dramatic” if the override doesn’t pass.
Gibson explained to Town Meeting members that there was almost an $800,000 budget deficit for fiscal year 2019. He said the town worked hard to bring it down to the current request. Among the cuts Gibson listed, if the override is not passed, are the elimination of six and a half teachers at William E. Norris Elementary School, one police officer, and two positions in the highway department, as well as cuts to administrative hours, loss of advanced paramedic license and the closure of the library one day a week.
Town Meeting passed the override onto the ballot by majority, though the room rang with voices saying both “aye” and “nay.” Southampton voters will now decide what they believe is the best path forward for the financial health of their town.
A citizen petition to mandate that the town pursue acquiring Chapter 61 property on College Highway failed by a vote of 217-73.
The petition hinged on meeting minutes from a Select Board executive session in December, which stated that an anonymous donor had offered to pay $1.2 million to buy and gift the town a piece of Chapter 61 property on College Highway. However, after it was explained that the petition would force the town to borrow the funds to buy the property if the gift fell through, Town Meeting voted to reject the petition.
In other business, two juniors at Hampshire Regional High School, though not old enough yet to vote or participate in Town Meeting, requested to speak in support of fully funding the schools portion of the budget. Town Meeting unanimously said, “aye” to allow the students to speak.
Rebecca Buehler and Nick Eline said they “couldn’t stress enough” the importance of arts, theater and athletic programming offered at Hampshire Regional and said the programs set students up for “bright and successful futures.” The students thanked taxpayers of Southampton for making those programs possible.
Town Meeting also passed two motions to make the treasurer/collector and town clerk appointed, rather than elected positions.
Vicki Moro, the town accountant, said that she personally needs a treasurer/collector with qualifications and business experience for her to do her job. Electing someone to the position risks losing out on the best qualifications and experience, she said.
Town Meeting considered 27 articles listed on the warrant, but by majority vote chose to take no action on an article related to veteran’s provisions exemptions and a mandatory recycling bylaw.
Gibson said last week that it was likely the mandatory recycling bylaw would be passed over as some questions had been raised around the wording of the bylaw amendment.
A proposal to raise the number of people needed for a quorum from 25 to 50 to reflect increased numbers of Southampton residents also passed by majority.
M.J. Tidwell can be reached at mjtidwell@gazettenet.com. This story was updated May 2 at 2:30 p.m. to reflect the correct spelling of Nick Eline’s name.