WESTHAMPTON — Facing steep cuts to the town’s elementary school, public works department and operations, the town is proposing a $500,000 Proposition 2½ override to residents, aiming to maintain level services.
The Select Board voted to endorse the override at its March 23 meeting, after two members gave a presentation explaining why such a step is necessary. The presentation is one of several planned over the coming weeks, aiming to educate voters before a special Town Election on April 11, where residents will vote on the override.
If the override passes, it will then be proposed as part of next year’s budget at Westhampton’s annual Town Meeting on May 9, for a final vote. The next informational meetings will both be held at Westhampton’s Town Hall on Tuesday, March 31, and April 9, at 7 p.m.
“No one wants to be raising our taxes anymore than the two-and-a-half percent,” said Select Board member Jennifer Milikowsky at the meeting. “But the reality is that we have deficit in our budget.”
If the override fails, significant cuts to the tune of $274,000 would be made at Westhampton Elementary School. That would result in the elimination of four full-time employees including a math and literacy teacher, and lead to reduced services for students, officials said.
Additionally, $102,000 would be cut from public works and $43,000 would be cut from police, eliminating one employee for each department. One or two town employees would be cut, meaning it is likely that the responsibilities of the town clerk and coordinator would be merged for one employee to manage. The same would happen for the work of the treasurer and tax collector.
A failed vote would also mean elimination of the assessor position, cutting the Council on Aging funding by more than half and less money for the library.
“If you still weren’t sure that you as a Westhampton resident would experience these cuts this one would absolutely affect everyone,” Milikowsky said. “It would be a 24% cut in road materials available so roadways will continue to degrade without proper funding.”
The Select Board has been discussing an override for months, but have said that it is ultimately up to the residents to vote on. The town is also giving alternatives to an override during presentations, which would impact long-term financial stability or reduce services.
If the override passes, based on the average Westhampton household property value, it would raise residents’ property tax bills by approximately $600 a year. That does not include the maximum 2½ tax increase limit.
Milikowsky explained Westhampton is facing the same cost increases cities and towns across the state are dealing with — mainly being impacted by health insurance increases.
“Our health insurance premiums have increased $375,000 in four years,” she said. “That’s a huge percentage jump and for a budget that is about $7.5 million, that’s an incredible burden.”
A big point of discussion at the Monday meeting was about Hampshire Regional High School, which Westhampton along with Southampton, Chesterfield, Goshen and Williamsburg contribute to.
The Hampshire Regional School Committee passed a preliminary budget of approximately $19.7 million in February. But for the final budget vote earlier this month, the figure went up by an additional $175,000, ultimately increasing the amount that each town has to contribute to the high school.
Select Board member Scott Johndrow said he thinks passing the override would be best for the town to maintain services. But he is frustrated that the high school increased its budget. The high school is still $280,000 short of level services.
“I just don’t agree with having a 2½ override when other people are not pulling their weight to take money off the table,” Johndrow said about the high school. “I really have a hard time with that.”
