WESTHAMPTON — Voters approved a fiscal year 2027 budget of approximately $7.55 million at a recent second Town Meeting that made cuts to town and school services in the wake of two different Proposition 2½ overrides failures this spring.
The budget was finalized on Monday, June 22, at a Town Meeting that was continued from the first session on May 9. The $7.55 million budget consists of just less than $6 million for the town’s operating costs, and its $1.6 million dues obligated to the Hampshire Regional School District.
The warrant for the meeting had 11 articles, seven of which passed at the first session, including the budget, however, it was contingent on a $125,000 override passing. Voters rejected that override by 16 votes on June 6. The budget was amended at the second session, eliminating a Highway Department worker and cutting more than $60,000 from Westhampton Elementary School to close the gap.
Town Coordinator Doug Finn said the cuts were “as anticipated” since both overrides failed, and moving froward, he feels the town will look at “all aspects of municipal budgeting” to finance as efficiently as possible.
“This year definitely reinforced the need for multiyear financial planning and I think more folks in Westhampton will begin to look at that,” Finn said in an interview.
Education makes up the brunt of the budget, costing approximately $4.3 million. In addition to the dues for the regional school district, $2 million is earmarked for the elementary school and other expenses, including vocational tuition costs. Public Works received a budget of roughly $695,000, general government with $440,000 and public safety at $350,000.
Culture and recreation and human services combined for a budget of just more than $200,000, and the unclassified section of the budget will cost approximately $1.3 million.
The only article not to pass was Article 8, which would have allowed the town to appropriate or borrow funds to purchase a new police vehicle. Since no action was taken on the request, the town can ask again at future town meetings. Finn previously told the Gazette that the vehicle would cost approximately $75,000.
Article 9 passed, allowing the town to appropriate funds to host a 250th anniversary celebration in 2028, along with Articles 10 and 11, both related to financial matters.
Future budgeting
Facing a $500,000 deficit leading into fiscal 2027, the town originally proposed a $500,000 override in April which failed by 59 votes. After that, the town whittled the deficit down to $125,000 — which would have been filled by the second override — cutting an additional $250,000 in materials, resources and certain employee hours, coupled with using $125,000 in free cash.
Select Board Chair Susan Bronstein said the impacts of the cuts will likely be felt in town.
“I suspect that people will feel something of the effect of the override failing, like hits to the school and hits to the highway,” Bronstein said. “We can only do so much.”
Budgeting this year, Bronstein said the town looked at every corner to try and find savings and revenues. “There’s no slack. We went through that budget to find every stray hundred dollar bill we could,” she said.
Finance Committee Chair Tad Weiss previously told the Gazette that many municipalities in the commonwealth are facing a similar issue, where the cost it takes to run a town is outpacing the amount of money it can raise.
In Westhampton, a town which is largely funded by property taxes, that trend was felt this year, Bronstein said. Moving forward, Bronstein agreed with Finn that the town will have to be “really careful” when budgeting, and officials will see what they can do to “tread water” heading into fiscal 2027.
Bronstein said she wants residents to know the town is working to gain more funding opportunities and she has been advocating to state legislators for changes to local funding formulas to help support communities, particularly rural ones like Westhampton.
“Going into next fiscal year, we have to be really careful, pay really clear attention and get every piece of legislative support we can,” Bronstein said.
