Halifax Residents Question Town Services and Raises in 4 hour Town Meeting

HALIFAX, MA - May 13 - Halifax residents will vote on adopting the Community Preservation Act in November, potentially raising property taxes to fund open space, recreation and historic preservation projects.

The measure, approved at the May 13 town meeting, would add a 1.5% surcharge to annual property tax bills starting in fiscal year 2026. For the average home assessed at $491,227, this would amount to about $84 per year.

Selectman John Bruno, who presented the proposal, said it could generate $238,000 annually for local initiatives.

"If we want to keep our open spaces open, if we want to keep our fields looking great and in good shape, if we want to preserve the history of this town, if we want to do any sort of affordable stuff when it comes to housing - it gives us more bang for the buck," Bruno said.

The CPA funds would be split between historic preservation, open space/recreation and affordable housing projects. A local committee would review proposals and bring them to town meeting for approval.

Bruno stated that 54% of Massachusetts communities are already participating in the CPA. Neighboring towns like Kingston have received over $3 million in state matching funds through the program.

Resident Candace Kniffen said, "We have a blacksmith shop we can't go in because it's not structurally sound. And yet we flock to Halifax, Holiday in Halifax, where we all enjoy our historical properties, but we're doing nothing to maintain them."

The water department's budget remained level-funded, prompting questions from residents about how ongoing water problems would be addressed.

Adrian McDougall, a resident of Hillside Ave., challenged town officials on the lack of increased funding for water infrastructure.

"Why are we not increasing this budget? When we're increasing all the other budgets, our system is falling apart," McDougall said. "We need to have clean water. This is ridiculous."

McDougall cited widespread issues with water quality, stating she uses a five-stage filtration system in her home and goes through filters quickly.

Town officials defended the water department's budget, noting that a multiyear capital project is underway to address water system improvements.

Sandra Nolan, town accountant, explained that Halifax has already invested over $1 million in water infrastructure upgrades. She added that voters approved a $3 million bond authorization last year for water projects.

"We are further in the warrant. You'll see there's a $500,000 article to go towards this project," Nolan said. "The water department is working on the water issues."

As the meeting progressed, voters approved $525,000 in water department expenditures, including $500,000 for treatment plant upgrades and $25,000 for a mini excavator. These funds will come from water retained earnings.

The water quality discussion emerged as part of broader budget deliberations, which saw contentious debates over salary increases for town employees and funding for various departments.

In other business, the town meeting approved a salary increase for Town Administrator Cody Haddad to $166,630.

Selectmen said the raise was necessary to retain talent and remain competitive with other municipalities. They said Haddad had received more lucrative offers elsewhere.

"We have to make a tough call that we look back and say, in three years, what is best for the town?" said Selectman Bruno. "I know this is a tough pill to swallow, but I've talked to folks, I've seen what the talent pool is out there for town administrators, and I have a very good feeling we're heading right back to where we were."