HADLEY — Around 12 municipal employee positions could be at risk if voters reject a $2.25 million Proposition 2½ tax-cap general override next month, according to town officials.
While the specifics of the jobs that would be lost are not yet known, Select Board member Jane Nevinsmith told her colleagues and the Finance Committee, during a “Bi Board” meeting Wednesday, that they need to be blunt with residents about what will be lost if the override fails.
“I just don’t think people get the magnitude of layoffs,” Nevinsmith said.
Finance Committee member Paul Benjamin said Hadley will be dramatically different if the override doesn’t pass, and based on feedback at forums with the public, it’s unclear if this has been accurately conveyed to residents.
On Sept. 9, a special Town Meeting will include articles for both the override to support town operations and another override for $300,000 that would go toward capital needs.
If both pass at the Town Meeting and then a ballot vote on Sept. 29, Hadley’s tax rate would go up from $11.63 to $13.57 for a $450,000 home, meaning the tax bill would rise by $873, from $5,233.50 to $6,106.50.
The Select Board has also set early in-person voting that will take place at the town clerk’s office at Town Hall. That will run Sept. 22-26 from 9:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. daily and be an option in addition to going to the polls on Sept. 29 or voting early by mail.
Interim Town Administrator Michael Mason presented statistics showing that Hadley has increased from 65.44 full-time equivalents in July 2018 to 87.59 full-time equivalents in July 2025, a 22.15 full-time equivalent increase over seven years.
Treasurer Linda Sanderson said should the override fail, cuts could begin with the $579,435 needed to cover fire department expenses. That would leave four to five unfunded positions in that department and various uncovered expenses related to ambulance service.
There would no longer be an around-the-clock operation, or the back-up Basic Life Support ambulance for the private Action EMS ambulance.
Another $300,000 to $400,000 in cuts would have to be made to pay for a 20% increase in health care, Sanderson said, with a good portion of that coming from personnel, likely six to seven more employees.
The town adopted a $22.76 million operating budget in May, but even at the time an override was seen as necessary to cover expenses, and since then insurance costs have jumped.
“Because of that one factor that wasn’t there when we were making the budget in May,” Sanderson said.