SOUTH HADLEY — Voters on Tuesday rejected a $3.5 million Proposition 2½ override that would have fended off cuts to town departments and schools for the next two fiscal years, marking the second failed override this year.
According to the unofficial results, 62% of the 6,166 voters, or 3,799 people, cast “no” votes. The outcome mirrors the previous $9 million and $11 million override vote five months earlier, when 58% of 6,151 voters, or 3,568, cast “no” votes on the $9 million override, and 65%, or 3,998, rejected the $11 million override.
By turning down a second, smaller override, voters communicated to municipal officials that raising taxes is not a viable solution for South Hadley’s structural budget deficit.
At previous Select Board meetings, Town Administrator Lisa Wong said she would need to cut an additional $500,000 from the town’s budget next fiscal year if the override failed, while the School Department would reduce its budget by $1 million.
Had the measure passed, the $3.5 million would have preserved school programming and essential services for the rest of this fiscal year, and in fiscal years 2028 and 2029. The money would also have replenished $1.7 million of reserves used to pad the budget this year.
Particularly, the Department of Public Works would have restored two positions, further cuts to the Senior Center would have been staved off and the school district would have preserved level services, including extracurriculars and sports.
Despite the lack of energy leading up to primary day, people came out ready to vote at the polls on Tuesday. A steady stream of squeaky shoes echoed in the halls of South Hadley High School, where voters came in from the outside drizzle to cast two ballots: one for the primary election and one for the override.
Assistant Town Clerk Zoe Ingram said the flow was consistent, but slower than the previous override vote in April. She said the steady turnout was likely a combination of interest in the override vote and the Democratic Primary, where South Hadley local Jeromie Whalen took on incumbent U.S. Rep. Richard Neal.
Most people voting against the $3.5 million override said it is unfair for residents to help offset rising government costs. Property taxes already hit South Hadley residents hard, and residents like Donald Guiel said they can’t afford any more increases. He worried that the override would have priced people out of town.
“Every every other town in the state has had to buckle up and make choices,” Guiel said. “South Hadley wants a tax base to pay for it all.”
Pamela Chlosta is proud to live in South Hadley. Her grandparents were immigrants who went through Ellis Island, and settled with her parents in town. She cares about the community greatly but views the override as passing on government mismanagement to residents.
“It’s very unfair for a local government to ask and put a burden on local taxpayers who have lived here their entire lives,” Chlosta said. “They need to manage the government better.”
Those who voted in favor of the override, on the other hand, were not thinking about tax bills. Rather, their thoughts were on South Hadley’s children.
Abby and Daniel Kerstetter have a 4-year-old daughter at home who will grow up in the community, and they want her and her classmates to access ample opportunities in town.
Karla Zukowski added that she voted in favor of the override to support children’s education, just as her family did in her youth.
“My parents [and] grandparents helped fund my education, so I’m paying it forward,” she said.
Without the override funds, cuts to staffing and services will likely be discussed in more depth as South Hadley moves into the fiscal year 2028 budget season during the coming months.
