Duxbury Faces Critical Vote on $5.8M Budget Override

Residents to decide on tax increase to prevent cuts to police, fire, schools and other town services

DUXBURY - February 12 - Duxbury residents face a critical decision in March as town officials present a $5.8 million budget override proposal aimed at addressing a $1.7 million structural deficit and maintaining current service levels across town departments.

The override will be voted on at the Annual Town Meeting on March 8 and at the Town Election on March 22, requiring majority approval at both events to pass.

"The objective of this meeting tonight is to provide you with as much information as you need to make an important decision at the annual town meeting and at the ballot," Selectboard member Fernando Guitart tells residents at a recent Budget Forum.

Town officials explain that Duxbury faces a structural deficit for fiscal year 2026, with expenditures exceeding revenues by $1.7 million. The town is seeking its first override in 35 years.

If the override fails, the town must implement significant cuts, including laying off 13 town employees and reducing school staffing by between 12.3 and 18.7 full-time equivalent positions.

Among the potential cuts are two firefighter/paramedics, two patrol officers, five Department of Public Works positions, and two finance positions. The library would close on Sundays.

Fire Chief Rob Reardon explains the impact of losing two firefighters: "To reduce the impact of an emergency, there needs to be a response of the right number of trained people, with the right equipment, in the right time."

Police Chief Mike Carbone adds, "We cannot move forward with the same staffing model we have had since the 1970s."

For the schools, Superintendent Danielle Klingaman notes that staffing reductions would result in "reduced student supports, increased K-5 class sizes, reduced course choices in 6-12, and diminished ability to hire and retain high-quality staff."

The override would not only prevent these cuts but also allow for additional staffing in key areas. The proposal includes adding four firefighter/paramedics, two patrol officers, two facilities positions, an environmental planner, a beach operations assistant manager, and restoring a children's librarian position.

Town Manager René Read explains that the recommendations "were not made in a vacuum nor were they made by any one individual. They were the result of a concerted team effort during which we carefully weighed all of our options."

Officials attribute the budget shortfall to several factors, including the Proposition 2 1/2 limit on property tax increases, inflation, diminishing state and federal funds, unfunded mandates, and rising fixed costs.

"[Our] revenues cannot grow as quickly and at the same rate as [our] expenditures," Guitart says.

The average single-family home in Duxbury is assessed at $1,242,100. If the override passes, the estimated tax increase would be $994 per year, or about $248.50 per quarter.

Officials note that Duxbury is not alone in facing budget challenges. Between 2020 and 2024, Massachusetts communities approved 143 overrides totaling more than $168 million. Neighboring towns including Kingston, Hanson, Norwell, and Hanover are also considering overrides this year.

"We are not alone in facing an override situation," Guitart says.

The override would provide an estimated levy capacity through fiscal year 2030, giving the town time to develop more sustainable financial strategies.

"It gives us five years of breathing room, until as a town we kind of think about what we want to do differently, if we want to do things differently," Guitart explains.

Town officials emphasize that there are tax relief options available for seniors, veterans, and low-income residents, including exemptions, tax work-off programs, senior discounts, and the state's circuit breaker tax credit.

Two articles at the Annual Town Meeting will address additional tax relief measures. Article 12 would establish a taxation aid committee to help elderly and disabled persons of low income, while Article 13 would authorize an annual increase in the amount of tax exemption granted to veterans.

At the Annual Town Meeting, residents will vote on two budget articles: Article 5A, the balanced budget with cuts, and Article 5B, the contingency budget with the override. Article 5A must pass regardless of the override decision to ensure the town has an operating budget for the next fiscal year.

"The Selectboard only recommends, finance committee recommends, school committee recommends, but those of you, me, us, the residents, at the end of town meeting, and at the ballot, will ultimately approve or not the budget that we presented today," Guitart says.

For more information, residents can visit the town website, which includes detailed information about the override proposal, including the impact on individual property tax bills based on assessed values.

Full forum available on Vimeo. Additional budget fora can be found here, and here.