3 of 4 towns say no to overrides
Randolph OK's school funding; Signs growing of tax fatigue
Faced with a sagging economy, voters in three of four towns were in no mood yesterday to approve property tax increases.
Voters in the blue-collar towns of Holbrook and Chelmsford along with well-to-do Harvard all rejected property tax hikes. However, Randolph voters approved a multimillion-dollar infusion for its troubled school system, which is at risk of a state takeover.
The votes were among the first key tests as Massachusetts enters a season of overrides, municipal budget cuts, and battles on Beacon Hill over spending and taxes. The state is facing a $1.3 billion budget deficit, and the grim news is rippling down to cities and towns, not only in the form of a lower-than-expected increase in local aid, but in falling property values and diminishing excise tax receipts for towns.
"I think there's a lot of angst out there," said Geoff Beckwith, executive director of the Massachusetts Municipal Association. "The choices for communities are between bad and worse. Do we raise taxes or cut services? While there's not much enthusiasm for putting tax increases on the ballot, officials realize local services are essential for communities to be successful in the future."
In Holbrook, School Committee chairman James Hathaway said the defeat of a $2.8 million override, mostly for schools, would cause the elimination of varsity sports and crushing cuts to staffing levels.
"I don't know how we will even operate next year," he said.
Voter consent is necessary for property tax increases under Proposition 2 1/2, because the hikes would exceed 2.5 percent a year.
Roughly 50 towns and cities may ask their voters to approve Proposition 2 1/2 tax increases this year. So far, voters have been reluctant to approve increases. Although Natick approved a $3.9 million increase last week, tax hikes have failed in Holland and Sudbury, while Duxbury voters rejected one tax hike but approved two others.
Ultimately, though, fewer cities and towns could end up holding votes this year, as voter fatigue sets in on tax increases, Beckwith and other municipal observers have said. Some cities and towns are looking to raise additional money by instituting or increasing fees for such services as trash collection or after-school activities
"Over the last three years, more than half the communities in the state have seriously considered overrides," mostly to support annual operating budgets, said Beckwith. He added: "Cities and towns are facing very large budget gaps, the same as the state. But they have fewer tools to deal with them than the state does. They basically have property taxes and fees."
Chelmsford's first attempt to override Proposition 2 1/2 in 16 years to boost its operating budget lost by 1,150 votes, and Selectman Samuel Chase, who supported the $2.8 million tax hike, lost his bid for reelection. His opponent, Eric Richard Dahlberg, had opposed the tax increase.
"I knew when I came out for the override, it was a long shot, but it was all I could do, because I believed it was the right thing to do for the town," Chase said.
The override's failure, school officials said, will force the closing of an elementary school, among other cuts.
In Harvard, voters who approved a tax hike last year rejected a $786,000 override to support town and school budgets.
In Randolph, the only town where overrides passed yesterday, school officials sold an override of nearly $5.5 million as a way to avert a state-threatened takeover of its beleaguered schools, which have been ravaged over the last five years by more than $12 million in budget cuts. Voters there also approved another $411,322 for the Police Department and $200,000 for the Fire Department.
"Randolph took its town back tonight," said override supporter Jack Smolokoff. "That's exactly what happened here. There are a lot of very, very happy people tonight."
Of the towns voting on tax hikes yesterday, Randolph appeared to be facing the toughest financial situation. Voters rejected four property tax increases in the last five years or so, most recently $4.2 million in March 2007 for the schools and the town.
Last fall, a state agency characterized the Randolph cuts this decade as Draconian, contributing to declining state test scores. The development prompted the state Board of Education in November to declare Randolph an underperforming school district, and the board has given the district until June to prove the community is committed to turning around the school system. Otherwise, the state board may put the system into receivership.
Randolph school officials interpreted that message to mean that the override must pass, and many residents went out in full force to convince voters to say yes.
Abundant support was evident at the polls last evening. Outside the Lyons School polling place, Beverly LaFleur, an officer manager for a real estate company, said: "Hopefully it will pass, especially with the state not having a budget in place. The cities and towns have to depend on themselves. No one is going to come in to rescue you."
At Randolph High, another polling place, a man carried a big yellow cardboard sign that read, "VOTE NO."
"I am the only no sign in this whole town," said the man.
Globe correspondents Matt Collette, Joyce Pellino Crane, and Taryn Plumb contributed to this report.
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