Athol voters reject override questions, Town Manager predicts cuts in services

Voters in Athol, Royalston and Petersham went to the polls Monday to decide a handful of contested races and a pair of override questions.

In Athol, two Proposition 2 ½ overrides, meant to support existing operation and make new hires, were soundly defeated. Question 1A, which asked for $1.8 million, was defeated by a vote of 1,437-427. Town officials had argued the funding was needed to maintain level municipal staffing and services. Question 1B, which sought an override of $2.9 million, was also voted down 1,624-222. Had the override passed, it would have been used to fund several new positions, including a human resources director, IT director, and director of facilities, as well as help maintain existing services.

When asked if the defeat of the overrides would lead to cuts in personnel and services, Town Manager Shaun Suhoski didn’t hesitate.

“Absolutely,” he said. “The road ahead encompasses what’s been online and shared publicly for the last eight weeks, in that there will be positions that are eliminated in police, fire, public works and general government.”

He added that he and his finance team have been working on a FY27 budget plan that takes the defeat of the overrides into consideration.

“We’ve, I believe, structured this to do the least harm to the community, to the services, the least harm to the employees of the town as well,” he added. “We need to be smart. A budget isn’t really about the numbers, it’s about policy.”

A total of 1,880 voters showed up at the polls in Athol, about 20% of the town’s 9,807 registered voters.

In the five-way race for two seats on Athol’s Selectboard, Russell Raymond topped all candidates with 821 votes. He was followed by Alex Blake, Jr., who won his seat with 675. Margot Parrot, Jon Costa, and Brian Dodge received 561, 534, and 529 votes, respectively.

“I knew this was going to be a tough part of this job if elected,” Raymond said. “But I’m up for helping Shaun and the rest of the Selectboard come up with those cuts and present a budget that will help us be successful and help out the town. But I was not a big fan of the overrides.”

Raymond thanked all of the voters who showed up Monday.

“They showed they could come out in almost record numbers,” he said. “And I appreciate everyone who voted, not matter who they voted for or what they voted for.”

Blake said he understands what he is facing as a new Selectboard member.

“We do have to make some cuts, but we’ll try not to go for EMS and positions like that,” he said. “I want us trimming the fat, so to speak, in other areas. That’s what I’m going to focus on first.”

He also thanked the voters for heading to the polls “whether they voted for me or whoever. I was very surprised at the results and very happy that it happened.”

Royalston and Petersham town elections

In the race to fill out the final two years on an unexpired term as one of Athol’s representatives on the Athol Royalston Regional School Committee, Mitch Grosky bested Emily Meuse by a vote of 914-815 in Athol and a margin of 61-37 in Royalston. Meuse had been appointed to the seat last September following the resignation of committee member Laura Robinson.

The race between Grosky and Meuse was the only contest on the Royalston ballot. Running as a write-in candidate, Kiley Hall, the ARSD School Committee representative from Royalston, received 107 write-ins in Athol and 37 in Royalston. Of the town’s 1116 registered voters, a total of 121, or nearly 11%, cast ballots.

In Petersham, 116 of the town’s 1,092 registered voters, or about 11%, went to the polls Monday. In the only contest on the ballot, Carole Hutchinson defeated Cindy Hopper, 83-33, for a seat on the Board of Health.