Funding Options Narrowing for Hanson Special Town Meeting
The failed override vote at the Annual Town Election eliminated one avenue to meet the Whitman-Hanson School assessment.
HANSON, MA - May 21 - The Hanson Select Board has announced a special town meeting for June 17 at the middle school to address pressing budget issues following the failure of a recent override vote at the Annual Town Election.
The decision comes as the town grapples with funding challenges and seeks to close a gap between the approved budget and the school assessment.
"We've got, I think last week we talked about that there were potentially only so many paths. That's one path that has been eliminated from the map," said Select Board Chair Laura FitzGerald-Kemmett, referring to the failed override.
The board is now considering various options to fund the difference, including across-the-board cuts to staff and departments, using free cash, or a combination of both.
Town Administrator Lisa Green emphasized the urgency of the situation, stating, "We have to take some action. We have to present something to town meeting or de facto that assessment is in place and we just don't have any method that the voters have voted on or anybody has voted on to pay it."
The board is working with the finance committee and town accountant to explore all possible avenues, including not filling open positions and reducing hours for some staff.
FitzGerald-Kemmett noted that the town has approximately $600,000 in free cash, not the $1.4 million previously thought. The town's accountant has advised against using all free cash, as it would leave the town without resources to respond to unforeseen circumstances.
The special town meeting will present voters with two options: voting no or approving funding for the difference through budget cuts and one-time monies. Detailed line-by-line budget changes will be provided at the meeting.
In another development, the board discussed complications with the Route 14 improvement project. The project, which received approval in 2017, has been delayed due to issues with an underground water pipe owned by the Abington-Rockland Water District.
Tony De Frias, Hanson's town planner, explained that the state requires lowering a section of the road for safety reasons, which necessitates relocating the water line. However, the water district has shown no interest in funding the work.
"As you get into removal of the pavement, repaving, the equipment that you're going to use, the age of it, you run the risk of damaging that water line, therefore requiring either repairs during the construction or after the construction," De Frias said.
The town has secured a $100,000 earmark for a subsurface utility evaluation but may need an additional $44,000 to cover the full cost. The project's future remains uncertain as the town seeks solutions and potential additional funding.
The Select Board is also addressing other town matters, including the need for volunteers on various committees and boards. FitzGerald-Kemmett proposed creating a recruitment campaign to fill these positions.
"I'd love to have a volunteer table where maybe people could just be there and say, 'Oh, you want to know what this committee does? This is what they do. Here's an application,'" she suggested.
The board is considering including information about volunteer opportunities in tax bills and creating a QR code linking to the volunteer application.