HADLEY — Both the Select Board and Finance Committee are endorsing Proposition 2 1/2 tax-cap overrides totaling $2.55 million that will come before voters in September.
The Select Board Wednesday voted to set a special Town Meeting for Sept. 9 that will have two articles.
The first article at that meeting, starting at 7 p.m. at Hopkins Academy, is the $2.25 million general override to cover various operating expenses for town and school departments, including $579,435 needed for an around-the-clock fire department. The other article is a $300,000 capital stabilization override to build up that account to pay for various assets and infrastructure.
Both will need affirmative votes that evening to trigger a special election that will take place Sept. 29.
The Select Board voted unanimously to support both articles, while the Finance Committee voted 3-2 to support the general override and unanimously to support the capital override.
Should both pass, the town’s tax rate would go up from $11.63 per $1,000 valuation to $13.57 per $1,000 valuation. For a $450,000 home, annual tax bills would go up from $5.233.50 to $6,106.50, an $873 jump.
Select Board member Amy Parsons explained that the recommendation in favor of both articles means that the elected officials would like those who come to Town Meeting to get the measures to the ballot, so that the townspeople can decide their fates.
“When we’re voting in favor of this, it doesn’t mean we want it,” Parsons said. “What it means is we want those in town to be able to vote for or against it.”
Finance Committee member Paul Benjamin made an identical motion “so the voters will be able to have a chance to vote on the ballot.”
Joing Benajmin in favor were member Shardool Parmar and Chairwoman Amy Fyden, but members Peter Matuszko and Andy Klepacki both voted against the recommendation.
But the committee did vote 5-0 in support of the capital override.
Interim Town Administrator Michael Mason said the ballot vote has to be within 90 days of the special Town Meeting.
Scott Merzbach can be reached at smerzbach@gazettenet.com.
