SOUTHAMPTON — The town will present two different Proposition 2½ options for residents to vote on next month — one for $1.9 million and the other for $2.5 million — in an effort to maintain level services and avoid significant cuts to nearly every corner of town.
With a deficit of $2.5 million for the coming fiscal year which starts July 1, the questions give voters two options: the $2.5 million override would maintain level services without any cuts and the $1.9 million override would make $600,000 in cuts to several departments.
If no override passes, town officials have previously described the effect as “catastrophic” to town services, hitting schools, the library, roads, and public safety just to name a few.
Town bodies including the Select Board, Finance Committee, School Committee, Public Safety and others have been meeting for months to address the deficit, and are ultimately turning to an override like many other neighboring communities including Westhampton, South Hadley, Hadley, Easthampton and more.
Southampton’s average single-family home value for fiscal year 2026 is $489,000, based on estimates from the Massachusetts Department of Revenue (DOR). A $2.5 million override would result in an approximately $997 annual increase to property taxes, based on that average home value. A $1.9 million override would increase property taxes approximately $763.
Voters at annual Town Meeting on Saturday, May 2, will consider the two override options, along with a base budget without an override. The meeting is scheduled for 10 a.m. at the Norris School. Residents can vote in favor of both overrides, because whichever option receives the majority of votes will pass.
The override requests will also be on the ballot at the town’s annual election scheduled for Tuesday, May 19. Polls will be open that day from 12-8 p.m. at Town Hall.
No override
If no override passes, Norris Elementary School would lose approximately $187,000, eliminating a reading interventionist and a paraprofessional. This scenario would also mean reduced hours for several preschool paraprofessionals, the vice principal, a custodian and speech paraprofessional.
The Norris School already lost five full-time employees and saw significant hourly reductions, totaling approximately $700,000 in cuts, after a failed override vote last year. If the $2.5 million override fails this year, the school would have a lost a total of approximately $1 million in services over the past two years.
No override passing also means Southampton would not be able to provide its full share of funding to Hampshire Regional High School. The town needs to contribute an additional approximately $350,000 to the high school this upcoming year, compared to the current year.
The Fire Department would lose approximately $170,000 in services, eliminating two full-time paramedics, an administrative assistant, and reduce emergency medical service supplies and firefighter equipment.
The Police Department would lose approximately $122,000. Of that, $90,000 would be removed from override costs which Chief Ian Illingsworth said covers approximately 255 shifts a year. Illingsworth said he always tries to have two officers on duty and only having one officer on duty would be more of a risk for both residents and officers.
“To rely on a state police or Easthampton to respond in an efficient time, I don’t know if that’s very practical,” Illingsworth said at a recent public informational session.
The Edwards Public Library would lose approximately $152,000 and would only have one employee. Town Administrator Scott Szczebak said the library would likely lose accreditation, being detrimental to its services. The Senior Center would also be affected, losing several positions, and the highway department would lose two positions, perform less road maintenance and reduce snow-plowing operations.
$1.9 million override
If the $1.9 million override passes, Norris would have certain positions restored that were cut last year including a math interventionist, an art teacher, a kindergarten teacher, a paraprofessional and hours for a reading interventionist. Though it would still be short of level services.
For town operations, a $1.9 million override would still leave certain positions to be cut including emergency medical positions, one of which is filled, library services would still be cut and capital funding would be decreased.
“Most municipalities are facing what’s called a structural deficit,” Szczebak said at a public meeting. “This means that all of our expenses and all of costs — wages and health insurance — are increasing more and more rapidly than what we are able to actually raise in revenues.”
Szczebak was speaking at a public information meeting about the override, part of a “Budget Series” he has been hosting to help explain the financial picture in Southampton to residents.
At the meeting, he said the town has taken steps in recent years to become “as efficient as possible” through options like grants. The town also transferred into the state’s Group Insurance Commission for health insurance coverage, which Szczebak said will save the town between $300,000 and $400,000.
State Sen. John Velis’ Office has also requested $200,000 in earmarked funds be designated toward the Norris School as part of the state Fair Share Supplemental budget in an effort to help.
Still, with Southampton’s property tax making up 74% of revenue and with little new growth and state aid coming in, Szczebak said the town is facing a similar situation to many neighboring communities struggling to keep up with rising costs.
