HADLEY — Three firefighter positions lost last year will be restored and current school and town services will be maintained after voters narrowly supported the larger of two Proposition 2½ tax-cap overrides Tuesday.
With just 12 votes to spare, voters approved a $1.5 million override by a 928-916 tally. A smaller $850,000 override also passed, but by a much wider margin: 1,129-716. Under state law, the larger amount will be enacted and added to the $22.37 million operating budget for fiscal year 2027, which annual Town Meeting adopted last month.
Turnout was 46%, with 1,858 of 3,996 registered voters casting ballots.
A steady stream of voters came to the Hadley Senior Center throughout the day, where the covered outdoor patio had three groups raising money: the Friends of the Hadley Senior Center, providing numerous baked goods, the Edward Hopkins Education Foundation, selling its Grown in Hadley apparel, and Hopkins Academy students, who will be traveling to Guatemala in 2027.
Among those supporting the override were Steve and Annie Kelly, who like many had youngsters in tow — in their case two grandchildren who will soon be public school students. The Kellys noted that a homemade sign supporting the override at their daughter-in-law’s home reads, “educated kids makes educated voters.”
The couple said they understand the budget situation is out of the town’s control.
“What’s happening at the federal level is causing problems at the local level,” Steve Kelly said.
“Money is getting sucked up to the top, so we have to make up for it here,” Annie Kelly said.
Like many concerned for student welfare, they heeded the warning that the schools would have to eliminate 10.6 full-time equivalents, reduce extracurriculars and athletics and diminish preschool and special education if the overrides failed.
With the override passing, current services will be maintained at the schools, while the Fire Department will be able to return to having two full-time firefighters per shift.
Those who opposed the overrides, like former Select Board member Dan Dudkiewicz, said that “mistakes and misjudgments” by town officials had put Hadley in a difficult position.
“We should have never been in this situation,” Dudkiewicz said, speaking from a shady lawn between the Senior Center and Hadley Public Library.
He said many people on fixed incomes can’t afford the tax increase, yet override supporters made it appear those against were school opponents. “Nobody wants to lay off anyone in the schools,” he said.
Dudkiewicz said the town had the ability to continue using free cash and to explore other ideas, such as a split tax rate that would mean commercial properties pay more. He said splitting the tax rate should be put to a nonbinding vote. He is also concerned the town went 18 months without a permanent town administrator.
Angela Matuszko of Middle Street, another override opponent talking to voters about her position, stood across from those with large signs in support of the override. She questioned why town officials put the preschool program on the chopping block when it’s a source of revenue.
Tuesday’s vote marked a shift in voter attitude after a larger $2.25 million override failed last September. Both the Select Board and Finance Committee supported the smaller $850,000 override this time, but only the Select Board was in favor of the larger $1.5 million amount.
Members of that elected board had said they believed residents had seen they took things seriously, making cuts to the Fire Department and closing the human resources department, along with other steps to streamline.
While she voted against last year’s override, Melinda Nielsen of Middle Street said she supports this year’s proposal, even though it would cost her and her partner, Harry Vandoloski — a member of the Finance Committee — an additional $40 per month, or about $480 annually.
Nielsen speculated that the motivating factor would be outrage, and this time the anger was on behalf of schoolchildren and public safety.
“Every town is falling behind, I love Hadley, it’s fantastic place to live, and I don’t want it to fall apart,” Nielsen said.
For an average home, assessed at $475,929, the current property tax bill is $5,454, and will increase by around $514 with the larger override passing.
Leslie Elliott of Mount Warner Road, a regular at the senior center, said she fears not having fire coverage and education for children, so is glad that voters would decide.
“I went to previous meetings and was sort of discouraged, because I would like to see the override pass,” Elliott said.
In the end, Elliott said no matter what the outcome, she was pleased to see so many neighbors cast ballots.
“Whichever way it goes, it’s good to see people using their rights in a democracy, that’s the way it should be,” Elliott said before the polls closed.
