WESTHAMPTON — Voters authorized a $126,000 emergency appropriation to address a sharp rise in municipal health insurance costs during a special Town Meeting on Dec. 8. While five of the six proposed articles were approved, residents rejected a measure that would have established a permanent bylaw restricting board and committee members joining others if it created a quorum.
Town Coordinator Doug Finn said in an interview that there were at least 40 residents in attendance at the meeting, surpassing the required 15 to have a quorum.
Finn said Article 2 was an important article to pass, allowing the town to pay off the expense from a 20% increase in health insurance premiums from the Hampshire County Group Insurance Trust; the increase was effective Oct. 1.
Similar to Southampton, the town was able to budget for the first 20% increase effective July 1, but needed an article to pass at the special Town Meeting to cover expenses paid for the Oct. 1 increase.
The member packet for Westhampton’s meeting states, “This midyear correction was not anticipated when the original appropriation … was made in May of 2025 (for the July 1 increase). The town must amend the appropriation for the current fiscal year in order to maintain legally required health insurance coverage for eligible employees.”
Most recently, the Trust announced a 19% increase for Medicare patients, effective Jan. 1, and members can expect increases next fiscal year.
Westhampton has opted to remain in the trust next year after many weeks of fishing for other options. Finn said the town will wait until next year to decide if it will stay in the Trust.
Article 6 was the only article that did not pass, asking voters to approve a bylaw that would have prohibited the Select Board from appointing members from any one committee or board to also be on another if it made a quorum.
Finn explained that if, hypothetically, the Select Board appointed two of the Zoning Board members onto the Recreation Committee, this would not have been allowed, since there would be a quorum of zoning members on another committee. It would have applied to all boards and committees, elected or appointed.
In the proposed bylaw, he said it is OK if members from another body were elected onto any given board or committee and it created a quorum, but they could not be appointed.
Finn said ultimately, it was discussed at the Town Meeting and voted down, since residents did not want to make a permanent, bylaw change. He said it is possible that the idea will be revisited in the form of a Select Board policy in the future.
“Residents agreed with the intention, they just agreed it should not be a hard and fast bylaw,” Finn said.
Aside from Articles 2 and 6, the remaining measures passed. Article 1 asked for the town to raise or appropriate money to pay for expenses from previous fiscal years, that amounts to roughly $6,200.
Article 3 made a grammatical change to the town’s zoning bylaw.
Article 4 corrected language that refers to non-protected use Accessory Dwelling Units, defined by Massachusetts General Law, Chapter 40A, Section 3. The change is in accordance with the Massachusetts Attorney General.
Article 5 relates to 4, fixing parking requirements for ADUs in accordance with state law.
