BELCHERTOWN — After failing to withdraw from the Hampshire Council of Governments in three earlier votes, Belchertown residents at annual Town Meeting Monday decisively gave notice that they want the town out of the organization on July 1, 2019.
With the Select Board and Finance Committee both unanimously in favor of withdrawal from the entity the town has been part of since 1999, residents voted 212-62 to support the measure.
“This organization needs a wake-up call, and I’d like Belchertown to not be part of it,” Town Administrator Gary Brougham said.
Brougham said HCG, as it is called, is on a downhill spiral, its finances out of control based on a recent letter sent to all Hampshire County communities, and he sees no way for the organization to recover.
“In my opinion it is so far gone there is no bringing it back,” Brougham said.
The decision, which reverses a 134-69 vote at a special Town Meeting last June to stay in, means voters have made Belchertown the second town in the past year to give notice that it will end its relationship with HCG, following Hadley in October. Rules of membership stipulate that towns must give more than a year of notice to withdraw.
The town’s Finance Committee wants to be able to analyze the benefits and drawbacks, meaning there would still be time to reconsider the decision.
“This is a first step,” Finance Committee Chairman Steven Rose said.
But officials spoke passionately about the need to leave. Select Board member George “Archie” Archible said that Belchertown shouldn’t just walk away, but should run from it as fast as possible.
Robert Thrasher of Springfield Road said residents should defer to the expertise of the Select Board and Finance Committee.
“If they’re so sure it’s time to get out, get out,” Thrasher said.
But Kenneth Elstein of North Street, a former HCG councilor who at one time worked as an electricity aggregation specialist for the council, said staying in the council makes sense, because the impacts of leaving are unknown, and a strong organization could help Hampshire County as a whole, especially as it loses its legislative clout on Beacon Hill.
“What we need to do is reject this,” Elstein said. “There are many good things about the council.”
He proposed creating a committee to identify problems and propose solutions for the financial survival of HCG. This committee would also determine liabilities and what would happen to the Hampshire Group Insurance Trust. But town counsel ruled this out of order because it was not in the scope of the article.
No official with HCG spoke to Town Meeting, but a flyer was distributed by Keep a Strong Hampshire Council of Governments Committee. The information on the flyer listed savings of $120,346 over the past two years in bulk purchases, offering solar renewable energy credits and overseeing the Retired Senior Volunteer Program.
Yet Brougham said big commodities such as road salt and bituminous concrete are convenient to buy from HCG, but other bulk-buying opportunities exist that could be more cost effective.
Even should Belchertown stick with HCG, there is no certainty it would survive.
“You have an agency with no sustainable business plan,” Brougham said.
HCG’s recent letter stated that all communities in Hampshire County could be held responsible for as much as $4.7 million in long-term liabilities, with Belchertown liable for $434,223, or $29,078 annually for 15 years, if the organization were to dissolve.
The vote to depart was one of 48 articles on the warrant.
Town Meeting quickly approved a $50.73 million budget, which is $1.86 million, or 3.8 percent higher, than the current year’s $48.87 million budget, which covers all town and school operations.
The only discussion came when the HCG assessment was proposed, with Elstein making a motion to reduce the town’s fee from $3,750 to $1. Elstein said this would be a way to make a statement of displeasure without actually withdrawing.
“At some point we need to come up with some solution for people opposed to the council to have a meaningful say,” Elstein said.
The amendment, offered before the vote to withdraw, failed by voice vote.
Town Meeting also agreed to $2.16 million in borrowing, which includes $545,000 for a new fire department truck, $290,000 to reconstruct the Town Hall parking lot, $263,000 to remove and dispose a school oil tank and $250,000 for fire department breathing apparatus.
Scott Merzbach can be reached at smerzbach@gazettenet.com.
