Norwell Faces Tough Choices in $3.7 Million Override Vote
Departments outline potential cuts to services if override fails at May ballot
NORWELL - March 26 and 27- Norwell residents face a critical decision in the coming weeks as town officials present a $3.7 million override proposal that would fund public education, municipal operations, and general government services.
The Select Board heard detailed presentations from department heads during their March 26 meeting, outlining the potential impacts if voters reject the override at the May 17 ballot.
"These are choices residents are making," said Select Board Chair Jason Brown. "It's a choice of whether in a family's own interest, an average taxpayer, do they want to accept a thousand dollar average increase in their taxes, or the choice is these are the implications of not doing that."
School Superintendent Matthew Keegan presented some of the most significant cuts, totaling 24 staffing positions across the district. These include teachers, specialists, and support staff at all levels.
"We're talking about cuts to the athletic department. We're talking about increases to bus fees," Keegan said. "We tried to hit a little bit of everything."
Specific school cuts include an inclusion specialist, a district-wide nurse, and the special education assistant director. At the high school level, cuts would affect physical education, technology, English, and world language teachers, along with freshman athletic teams and six JV teams.
The police department faces three potential scenarios if the override fails, with the most likely being the police station going "dark" during nights, weekends, and holidays.
"Most likely the main scenario we're looking at is going dark at the police station," said Police Chief Edward Lee. This would mean the station would only be open Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m., with no clerks available at other times.
Other police department cuts could include eliminating crossing guards and reducing cruiser purchases.
Fire Chief Dave Kean presented two options, with the first involving the loss of one position and significant cuts to overtime. The second option would require cutting three positions while restoring the overtime budget.
"There's a far-reaching effect of being staffed at minimum manning all the time," Kean said, noting that reduced staffing would impact response times and potentially lead to increased workplace stress and higher employee turnover.
The highway department faces cuts to summer help and the potential loss of one full-time employee, which Highway Director Glenn Ferguson warns could affect snow removal operations.
"Being down a worker or two, we're going to see the pinch in town," Ferguson said. "I haven't completely figured out how we're going to get all the roads plowed."
Ferguson also noted that field maintenance for sports programs would be affected, with mowing potentially reduced to a biweekly basis instead of the current weekly or twice-weekly schedule.
The Council on Aging faces a 13.5% reduction in its transportation services, which provide rides to medical appointments, grocery shopping, and prescription pickups for seniors who can no longer drive.
"This is support within the community that we are able to offer for either free or for reduced cost," said Allison Hughan, Vice Chair of the Board of the Council on Aging.
The library would lose Sunday hours and face a 28% reduction in its materials budget, potentially jeopardizing its certification in the state aid to public libraries program.
"It would be a shame to have this brand-new, beautiful library and have it become decertified," said Library Director Rachel Breen, noting that decertification would mean residents couldn't use their library cards at other municipalities.
Conservation Agent Will Saunders outlined cuts of approximately $16,000 to general expenses, including the dog waste program, professional engineering services, and grounds keeping.
Town Administrator Darleen Sullivan announced that if the override fails, Assistant Town Administrator Kim Roy would take a layoff to save other positions.
"As Town Administrator I'm going to take a bullet. I should and I should be leading by example in that sense," Sullivan said, explaining that Roy's sacrifice would save about 2.5 other positions.
The override question will first go before voters at the annual town meeting, where residents need to appropriate the funds contingent on a “yes” at the ballot. The authorization to override the limits of proposition 2 1/2 by $3.7 million will then appear on the May 17 ballot.
If approved at both town meeting and the ballot, the override would cost the average taxpayer approximately $1,000 per year.
Select Board member Bruce Graham expressed confidence in the departments' efforts to find savings.
"I'm confident that everybody has sharpened their pencil to the best of their ability," Graham said. "They have looked for ways to reduce costs and improve services at the same time."
The Select Board unanimously approved including both the base budget (without the override) and the contingency budget (with the override) as Articles 2A and 2B on the town meeting warrant.
“All I can do is say that you need to vote at town meeting and then you need to vote two and a half weeks later at the ballot box,” Graham added, “And make your choice.”
March 27 - Norwell is at a crossroads as the Advisory Board recommends a $3.7 million override budget in a 4-2 vote. This sets the stage for a crucial town meeting on May 5.
The proposed override aims to keep current services and staff levels across town departments, including schools, police, and fire.
Advisory Board chair John McGrath points out the risks of cutting the fire department, especially with growing call volumes and an aging population. He notes, "With Brightview taking over the St. Helens property for more senior living, reducing emergency services would be really harmful."
Bob Perniola, vice chair, expresses concern about the long-term impact, saying, "I hope people realize that if this gets approved, we'll be facing another shortfall next year."
Town Administrator Darleen Sullivan emphasizes that the $3.7 million request has already been trimmed from an initial $5 million proposal.
Voters will make the final decision twice: at the May 5 town meeting, followed by a ballot vote on May 17.
Sullivan adds, "We're planning four public forums next month. The entire annual budget will be online. We're committed to keeping everyone informed throughout this process."
Full Select Board meeting available via Norwell Spotlight TV. Full Advisory Board meeting also available.