Time to revisit county governance?
It is hardly news that my town of South Hadley is facing a funding crisis. Despite many cuts, we came perilously close to eliminating all high school sports. And our future path is unsustainable — we have kicked that can down the road for one fiscal year only.
But we are not alone. All across Hampshire County I see tax override signs pro and con. Other towns are also struggling to maintain schools, public safety, public works, libraries, and senior services as residents face rising property taxes. Year after year, we are forced into impossible choices: cut services, delay maintenance, or ask taxpayers for more.
We need something different. It is time to reconsider how local government services are organized and financed in Hampshire County. Although Massachusetts abolished most county government functions decades ago, today’s fiscal pressures suggest that it is time to revisit regional governance in a modern form. Hampshire County communities already cooperate successfully in many areas. Expanding that cooperation could help stabilize budgets without constantly cutting services residents depend on.
Every town currently maintains separate administrative structures, separate procurement systems, separate legal expenses, and separate staffing for functions that neighboring communities often perform in nearly identical ways. While local identity and local control remain important, taxpayers should ask whether maintaining dozens of parallel systems still makes financial sense.
This is not a partisan issue. It is a practical one. If towns like South Hadley, Amherst, Easthampton, and others continue facing structural budget shortfalls, we need to be willing to discuss structural solutions.
Robert Salthouse
South Hadley