Hadley voters to decide overrides as budget cuts loom

HADLEY — Up to $1.5 million in municipal spending that depends on the successful passage of a Proposition 2-1/2 tax-cap override, which would include restoration of firefighting positions and preservation of public school staffing, comes before voters for the first time at annual Town Meeting Thursday.

Deliberation on the 24-article warrant starts at 7 p.m. at Hopkins Academy, with a $22.37 million fiscal year 2027 budget proposal that includes $10.37 million for the public schools.

The Select Board and Finance Committee are both endorsing an $850,000 override to support the schools and firefighters, while the Select Board is alone in recommending an additional $650,000, or $1.5 million override needed to keep intact all current town and school services. The town election for the overrides is scheduled for June 2.

While the focus of the meeting will be on the budget, other articles include one that would eliminate the existing 75,000-square-foot cap on commercial buildings, another that asks to remove a provision allowing Hadley to have a strong fire chief, and one that would ban cryptocurrency machines.

The latest omnibus budget comes after a $2.3 million override failed last year, leading to the elimination of firefighting positions, the human resources department and various other cuts.

Should another override fail, 10.6 full-time equivalents at the schools could be lost, extracurriculars and athletics would be reduced and the early education and special education programs would be limited.

The $10.37 million school budget is up $267,517, or 2.65%, over this year’s $10.1 million budget.

Superintendent Anne McKenzie told the School Committee that there have been minimal staffing increases in recent years, with about five new education support professionals added. The district has 146 school choice students, which is well above the 97 students who leave the district via choice, charter and vocational schools.

“One thing we certainly want to protect is our ability to attract and retain students through school choice,” McKenzie said.

Without any override, there would also be cuts to other expenses and salaries throughout town, said Interim Town Administrator Michael Mason.

With the $850,000 override, $210,000 would go to the fire department, $50,000 to the polkice and $590,000 to the schools.

The second and larger override of $1.5 million would provide another $75,000 to hire a firefighter and purchase firefighting gear and supplies, getting the department back to two firefighters per shift.

Hadley Local Firefighters 5486 has used social media to appeal for the full $1.5 million that restores the department to the staffing levels from spring 2025, brings back a second ambulance, and reduces overtime costs. The smaller override option does less of this, but still more than no override.

“Without it, as few as zero firefighters may be on duty at any given time, delayed response times put lives at risk, and the cost of emergency overtime continues to climb.”

With the tax base under strain, the Planning Board will ask voters to rescind the cap on building size that has been in place since the compatible building size bylaw was adopted in 2006.

“This is all about potentially getting a larger commercial building in town for tax purposes,” said Planning Board Chairman James Makismoski.

A developer would have to donate to the transfer of development rights fund to preserve farmland for such projects, but Maksmoski said no application has been filed and where such projects could go on Route 9 is limited.

Capital projects on the warrant include $300,000 for sewer asset management, $300,000 for water asset management and $165,000 for roads.

The lone spending from the Community Preservation Act account is $9,450 to begin studying how to remediate phosphorous levels at Lake Warner.

There are several other Planning Board sponsored articles, including one revising the accessory dwelling unit bylaw to bring this into compliance with state law and another to dispense with screening at solar projects.

With respect to the revocation of the strong fire chief statute, Select Board member Molly Keegan said that in 2013 the town adopted the language and the authority given to the fire chief is on policy and personnel matters, but limits the role of the Select Board in hiring personnel.

The changes are being brought forward before Fire Chief Michael Spanknebel retires at some point in the coming months, and with questions about whether the next fire chief should have the same authority.

But at a recent Select Board meeting, Michael Mazulis, president of the firefighters union, said the department is already facing significant challenges and when Spanknebel retires the department should be led by a credentialed, experienced fire service professional, and he worries that the best candidates won’t apply.

Spanknebel said it would be “highly detrimental” to change the language and find a highly qualified candidate upon his retirement.

The article seeking a prohibition on cryptocurrency automatic teller machines was requested by the Police Department. Mason, who is also the police chief, said the idea is to reduce potential scam risks and money being stolen from people.

“Once cash is converted to crypto, it’s all over, you’ve lost that money,” Mason said.