SOUTHAMPTON — Residents will vote on a packed, 25-article warrant at Southampton’s annual Town Meeting this Saturday, including the first step to pass or reject a $1.9 million or $2.5 million Proposition 2½ override.
The meeting will be held at 10 a.m. at Norris Elementary School. The warrant, which the Select Board finalized last week, includes pertinent financial decisions, including approval of next year’s budget and an override proposal.
Article 1 asks voters to approve the town’s base budget for next fiscal year of approximately $15.9 million. Article 3 asks for approval of the town’s contribution to the Hampshire Regional School District for next year, which amounts to approximately $6.2 million.
Adding those two figures together, the town’s total ask for next year’s budget is approximately $22.2 million.
However, facing a roughly $2.5 million deficit to level services, the town has decided to propose two override questions — one for $1.9 million and the other for $2.5 million — which will be asked for approval under Article 2. If no override passes, the town would have to make $2.5 million in cuts that would impact nearly every town department, including position eliminations and hour reductions to Norris School, two paramedics, the library would only have one employee and more.
In order for an override to pass, residents need to approve the town’s base budget in Article 1 and the override needs to be approved again at the town’s election on May 19. Residents will be able to select which override option they desire at the election.
Article 8 made its way on the ballot through a citizen’s petition, which would reduce the amount of taxes property owners pay through the Community Preservation Act from a 3% surcharge to 1%, if passed.
The CPA, signed into law in 2000, allows municipalities to raise money through a property tax surcharge of up to 3% for open space protection, historic preservation and affordable housing, which is matched by state dollars.
Mark Kassis, vice chair of Southampton’s Community Preservation Committee which oversees project proposals for CPA funding, said if the article passes it would decrease CPA funding by 74% annually, dropping the town’s approximately $500,000 in CPA funds to $370,000. If passed, the town would fund significantly fewer projects and improvements and the town would secure less grant funding, Kassis said.
According to Kassis, in 2025 the average Southampton household paid $142 under the 3% CPA surcharge. If it was 1%, residents would pay $47 a year, a $95 decrease. CPA funding has supported more than 110 projects since 2000, including pickleball courts and other projects a Conant Park, the Magic for Maddie Playground and drinking water supply protection.
Article 7 asks residents to vote on an different article that was approved at last year’s town meeting, which would increase funding available to install a heating system for the Highway Department by an additional $30,000, if passed.
Article’s 10 and 11 asks voters to approve the transfer of capital improvement project duties from the Capital Improvement Committee to the Finance Committee.
Article 12 would eliminate the town caucus where candidates are nominated for seats on town bodies like the Select Board and School Committee, and instead just have nomination papers filed at Town Hall.
Article 14 would change the treasurer from being an elected position to an appointed role, if passed.
The remaining articles include bylaw amendments and various financial actions from previous and current years, such as designating funding to certain projects and approving certain departments funding for next year.
For more information, visit the town of Southampton’s website.
