WESTFORD — Voters will soon be asked to approve a $6.8 million budget override at Annual Town Meeting and on the ballot.
The Select Board unanimously voted to approve the $6.8 million strategy during a Feb. 27 meeting.
Additionally, the Finance Committee voted 6-2 on Feb. 28 to recommend the proposed budget with a Proposition 2 1/2 override. Members Dennis Galvin and Heather Fitzpatrick cast the two dissenting votes.
No action was taken at the time of reporting from either the Select Board or Finance Committee on whether to recommend the FY25 operating budget without a Proposition 2 1/2 override.
Override to supplement budget
This is the first time since 2017 that voters will be asked to support a Proposition 2 1/2 override. This override would be the fifth presented to voters since 2000.
More recently, voters approved a $1.6 million override in 2017 to increase compensation for educators.
This current override would be used to cover $4.2 million in FY25, with the remainder held in a stabilization fund to supplement the FY26, FY27 and FY28 budgets.
Member John Cunningham questioned why the town cannot “step in” the override total to limit the impact on the taxpayer in 2025.
“Is there a way to stage that so that we don’t hit the taxpayer with $6.8 million right away,” he asked. “That would save the average taxpayer maybe a couple hundred dollars the first year and work it that way instead of hitting them with that slug right away.”
He added, “I think I like the $6.8 but I’d like to string it out as much as possible.”
According to Finance Director Dan O’Donnell, assessing the full amount “does have a significant impact on the outlying years, not having that override stabilization fund.”
He added, “We only have one opportunity to raise that $6.8 million in FY25 on the recap. If we don’t do it in 2025, we lose our ability to assess extra in outlying years. By FY26, we’ll be at the levy limit already, it’s sort of a one-time opportunity to have that extra funding to get through these couple of years.”
Choosing $6.8 million
This scenario results still results in some reductions to balance the budget with the override, including several cuts to roles in Westford Public Schools and the town. The $6.8 million scenario is projected to reduce approximately 26 positions among school and town staff through FY28, according to a memo sent to the Select Board.
With no override, potential job losses could total up to 172 positions, with each position assessed at $70,000 per year.
Board members opted for the $6.8 figure to preserve services as well as believing that it is a number that is “practical” for voters.
“I think the worst case scenario is that it fails at either town meeting or the ballot and then we have a really serious problem. From a very practical point of view I think that’s a number that starts with a six,” board member Andrea Peraner-Sweet said during a Feb. 13 meeting.
Chair Thomas Clay previously said that “six cuts too close.”
“There’s too much student facing and too much public safety facing impact from my point of view,” he said on Feb. 13. “$6.8 [million] is the number I’ve been looking at because that’s the number that gets you 12 or so positions added back from the six level.”
Member Chris Barrett had previously echoed support for a higher figure but said he would “be on board” as he said that “the worst thing possible is for it [override] not to succeed.”
Member Scott Hazelton later added on Feb. 13 that he “did not want to see layoffs,” believing future efficiencies could offset future costs.
Member John Cunningham says that some of the cuts without an override are “untenable.”
“We do need the override if we’re going to keep things going,” he said.
Impact on the taxpayer
According to the town’s website, taxpayers can expect their bills to increase by approximately 9.9% in FY25.
An average single-family home assessed at $756,500 could expect its tax bill to increase by approximately $764.04 in FY25. Homes assessed at $558,000 could expect their bills to increase by approximately $563.56 in 2025, while homes assessed at $1.08 million could expect their bills to increase by approximately $1,100 in 2025.
The override will require both a majority vote at the March 23 Annual Town Meeting and at the May 7 ballot. If the override passes at the ballot and fails at Annual Town Meeting, a new town meeting could be called to reconsider the issue.
Select Board Chair Thomas Clay serves on WestfordCAT’s Board of Directors as a liaison from the Select Board.
