Mary Byrne
Following months of discussion, the Select Board voted Tuesday morning to put forward an $8.4 million Proposition 2½ override for voters to decide on this spring.
“We appreciate the magnitude of this,” Select Board Chair Roy Epstein said Tuesday morning. “It’s impossible for everybody to be happy, but I do believe that we’ve converged at a number that will be acceptable by a large number of people. I don’t know that we can ask for more than that.”
Select Board member Elizabeth Dionne added the dollar amount board members settled on would offer the town some “growing room.”
“It’s a painful number,” she said. “But it’s not an irresponsible one.”
According to town officials, Belmont faces a $6.5 million budget gap in the next fiscal year, which will continue to grow over the following two fiscal years as anticipated expenses outpace expected revenue. Epstein previously said a proposed override would last three to six years before more intervention is needed.
The amount is the largest Belmont has ever requested. Voters will decide during the town election April 2.
At a recent Special Town Meeting, Epstein explained that in fiscal year 2021, a $6.4 million override was defeated by the voters. Since that time, the town has “gotten by” by relying heavily on one-time funds, including American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds, Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief (ESSER) funds, and cash reserves.
“The Financial Task Force in 2021 made a prediction that in the absence of an override at that time, there would be a need for an even larger override in the future,” Epstein said. “We avoided that for a couple years because of these grant programs, but now the ARPA and ESSER programs, which were worth quite a few million dollars, have ended.”
With the re-emergence of the fiscal cliff of 2021 came an intensive planning process, including multiple committees and boards and extensive involvement of town and school administrative staff. Officials determined three potential paths forward: No override at all, an override to provide existing services but nothing further, and a higher number providing funds to address school curriculum, growing special education expenses, and additional capital expenses on the town side.
“We’ve been discussing how to go about the budgeting process to restrain the growth of expenses because we’ve built in expense growth that exceeds revenue growth,” Epstein said to voters at the Special Town Meeting earlier this month. “At the same time, we’re looking at ways to grow revenue.”
A list of potential cuts on the town website for fiscal year 2025 includes cuts at the Town Clerk’s Office, the Council on Aging, and the Health Department. It also includes removing motorcycles and body cameras, vehicle replacements, and other supplies from the police, freezing firefighter hiring, laying off other personnel, reducing polling locations, and cutting a position in the treasurer’s office.
“I feel very strongly that I don’t want to preside over a massive reduction of headcount,” Epstein said Tuesday. “The more time I spend working in local government, the more impressed I am with the quality of the staff. … To lay them off would be just a horrible thing to do for all sorts of reasons.”
Though no formal recommendation came from the Warrant Committee, Warrant Committee Chair Geoffrey Lubien said members ultimately agreed “a sizable override is needed to meet the structural gap we have now.” He reported that some members were comfortable with a $7.4 million override, while others felt an additional million would be beneficial.
“We believe this is a necessary ask of the town to meet the needs now but also to give us the opportunity for the next several steps … [for] a long-term, comprehensive plan to manage expenses,” he said.
A school budget development draft for fiscal 2025 states if an override does not pass, there would be a “significant reduction from the level of service the district is currently providing through its general fund,” including cuts to administration and teaching staff, extra-curricular activities, and other programs.
“I am encouraged by the conversation that the Select Board members had, which was hopeful and positive about the future of Belmont,” School Committee Chair Meghan Moriarty said in a statement to The Voice. “I trust that they accounted for what our community values and can support. This community truly supports education and investment in our schools. Leading into this decision, I have been encouraged by the collaboration among the Select Board, School Committee, and Warrant Committee. We are all in this together and will continue to work together with the community towards a successful outcome. “
A majority of residents who spoke during public comment on Tuesday expressed support for an override; at least one woman, however, cautioned the Select Board to consider the impact a large override may have on residents, particularly seniors.
“We always have to be cognizant of the burden on taxpayers,” Dionne said. “I do not feel good about the fact that for some people, this marginal expense will be the final straw that drives them out of town. That is not something I’m happy about, that we should be proud of … That said, I don’t see an alternative.”
Since 1990, Belmont has passed four overrides, totaling nearly $12 million, according to a presentation town officials shared in advance of the vote in 2021.
The town passed a $4.5 million override in 2015 to fund schools, roads and sidewalks, and debt service for capital. Before that, voters passed a $2.4 million override in 2002 to address a late cut in state aid. In 2001, voters passed a $3 million override to fund roads, schools, and town services, and in 1990, they passed a nearly $2.1 million override.
