HADLEY — Hadley voters will head to the polls Monday to consider a $2.25 million Proposition 2½ tax-cap override and $300,000 in spending for capital projects, less than three weeks after voters at a special Town Meeting rejected both measures.
The ballot vote, which began this week with early voting at Town Hall, will continue Monday from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. at the Hadley Senior Center, and is part of the two-step process required by the state to successfully enact an override that would increase property taxes beyond the limits allowed by the state.
If passed by voters, town officials expect to bring a fully funded budget to the Oct. 23 special Town Meeting in a second attempt to get the override passed through that part of the process. Voters at a special Town Meeting Sept. 9 defeated the overrides, with 58% of voters saying “no” to the $2.25 million override.
Unlike the $300,000 for capital items, the $2.25 million for the general override is broken into several parts, which give some indication to voters of what might be lost if it fails. In May, annual Town Meeting adopted a $22.76 million spending plan, but with the caveat that an override, or some other revenue sources, would be needed to keep it intact.
During presentations to the community, officials have shown that the general override is needed for the $579,435 in spending for the Fire Department and EMS, and $824,404 for various other increases. That is broken down as $338,404 for town and school operations and $486,000 for midyear health insurance adjustments.
Finally, $846,785 is needed to pay for a previous health insurance adjustment, employee compensation and free cash used to cover other budget expenses.
Yet the specifics about what would be lost for town and school services with a smaller budget isn’t yet finalized.
If the ballot vote fails, there will be immediate discussions with the Select Board to determine if they will try another, smaller tax-cap override after some adjustments are made, said Interim Town Administrator Michael Mason.
“I cannot speak for the decisions the Select Board might make, but in my best estimation, the $300,000 in capital will likely be removed, and some other reductions will have to be made, likely in the form of layoffs,” Mason said.
He said, though, that the six to eight positions which may be cut in the current budget cycle, if no override is passed, have not been identified. And the consequences will continue to be felt into the next budget year, as well.
“There will have to be more layoffs in FY27 if no override passes, as we have to account for much less free cash being available and another, as yet unknown, increase in health care costs,” Mason said.
The uncertainty has led to worries that services like the Hadley Public Library and the Hadley Senior Center could have reduced hours and there could be diminished public works.
Two current firefighter/ paramedics and two firefighters who are being trained to be paramedics would be out of a job, said Michael Mazulis, president of Hadley Firefighters Union Local 5486, leading to what he said would become a “bare bones” department.
This would mean immediate loss of around-the-clock coverage, with 11 full-time firefighters down to seven, and the elimination of the backup Basic Life Support ambulance that is bringing $90,000 in revenue to Hadley.
He expects that staffing would be limited to 12 hours each day, or daytime coverage, with the call force on at night, comparing it to what existed in the 1950s.
“You can’t go back to a call force,” Mazulis said.
Response times for the medical calls, which make up more than half of the 2,014 calls last year, would also be longer. Even though the private Action Ambulance would still be paid for its work, the town couldn’t send trained EMTs on a fire truck or backup ambulance, putting more stress on the regional system.
Mazulis said he is drawing information from the four presentations officials made this summer, not any direct information provided. “We have not been approached by anyone in town,” Mazulis said.
Fortunately, any firefighters out of a job would likely land on their feet, he said, as they are in high demand, though the union would still like to be notified about layoffs as soon as possible.
Whether there will be any impact on the public schools, Hopkins Academy and Hadley Elementary School, is unknown.
At the School Committee meeting Monday, Finance Committee liaison Shardool Parmar, who has supported the override in his official capacity, said his colleagues who are against the additional spending have no backup plan in case of a defeat.
“The town people and the people who rely on the school and all other departments need to understand that no other plan has been put in place, at least by the Finance Committee, if this doesn’t pass,” Parmar said.
Chris Desjardins, finance director for the schools, said there is $2.1 million in school choice money available, though $1.6 million is designated to be used in the operating budget to offset expenses, with about $300,000 going toward capital expenses.
Capital items are paid for from school choice account, with $2.5 million planned for spending over the next several years for various projects.
