Athol Selectboard considers two Proposition 2 1/2 override options

ATHOL – The Selectboard reviewed two possible amounts for a Proposition 2 ½ override that will likely go before voters at the next Annual Town Election.

Town Manager Shaun Suhoski presented the Selectboard with those options at its meeting on Tuesday, Feb. 17.

“We have things we’re working on to contain costs going forward,” Suhoski told the board.

The higher option, around $2.5 million, maintains existing staff and services, while also allowing the town to make three new hires. The first position Suhoski reviewed was that of information technology director.

“We’re now using vendor services, which is fine for the four hours a week the vendor is here in town, but not fine for the 24/7 departments we have,” he said.

Suhoski also said the town is in need of a full-time facilities manager to oversee Athol’s town-owned buildings and facilities, including Town Hall, Athol Public Library, the wastewater treatment plant, the police and fire stations, and a commercial building which houses the senior center and other offices. Altogether, there is more than 75,000 square feet of space to oversee.

“We don’t have a person who is trained in HVAC or electrical or plumbing who is serving as overseer of all that,” he said. “We have two and a half custodians.”

The last position which the town hopes to fill is that of human resources officer.

“The HR field is evolving all the time,” he said. “It’s not my specialty. We do try to keep up with everything. The Wage Equity Act, Paid Family and Medical Leave act – what applies to municipalities may be different from what applies to the private sector.”

The lesser option for the overrride, between $1.9 million and $2.1 million, would maintain current services and not include any new hires.

“That would keep all of our current services for, I would guess, a three-to-five-year window,” said Suhoski. “It would keep the town rolling. The taxpayers have supported this level of services, the town is growing….this option would do minimal harm.”

One of the current unknowns when it comes to budget planning, Suhoski noted, is that of the Athol Royalston Regional School District. The School Committee, he said, will hold a public hearing on a proposed FY27 spending package on March 18.

“The (School) Committee will go through their preliminary figures and kind of focus their budget,” he said. “So, I hope to get some better numbers in maybe another week.”

Prior to his discussion on an override, Suhoski told the Selectboard that budget drivers include an expected 15% increase in employee health insurance rates, as well as a jump in liability insurance, retirement benefits and other post employment benefits.

The board will meet at 5 p.m. next Thursday, Feb. 26, to decide which option it prefers to place on the April 6 ballot.

In anticipation of next week’s meeting, board member Mitch Grosky asked Suhoski provide information on the potential impact of both override options on property tax rates.

“I’d also like to see an explanation of how we got here,” said board member Brian Dodge. “How did we get from a balanced budget; we made some cuts, we did the right thing, and we got a balanced budget last year – but $2 million?”

Board Chair Rebecca Bialecki also said voters need to know what positions and services are likely to be cut, should they vote against an override. Grosky added he would like to see how Athol’s situation compares to other towns in the region.

“We need to get it out to the voters that it’s up to them,” said board member Marc Maxwell. “It’s their vote. It’s not up to us. We just put it on a ballot.”