As I sit at my personal computer on a Sunday morning, I’m thinking about the future of Athol; the community that has been my professional home for nearly 12 years and was my personal home for nine of those years.
Over the past decade Athol’s taxpayers have invested in themselves by providing local matching funds for an amazing library expansion and a modern elementary school that should make the community feel proud. Other taxpayer investments have resulted in outsized infrastructure improvements including repair and replacement of six aging bridges with aid from the state.
Now, on April 6, the folks that make Athol a great town are being asked to consider a pair of override questions: a $2.9 million option geared towards future growth, and $1.8 million option to preserve essential services.
The $1.8 million request is to maintain Athol’s existing level of services. Not for buildings or bridges; but for the direct services that your local dollars fund.
- Services that are there when you need them most like 24/7 medical and fire response, 24/7 protection of people and property and 24/7 public works availability to ensure our roads are passable for emergency and everyday use.
- Services such as providing quality education and support for our children and grandchildren attending the local or technical school districts.
- And, services to enhance our community like the senior center and its array of programs and direct assistance to seniors, or the breadth of quality programming and resources All available through the Athol Public Library.
Athol accomplishes all of the above with an average residential tax bill among the lowest 20 in the entire state, per Massachusetts Department of Revenue data.
Even if the essential services override passes, the average tax burden will remain lower than most neighboring communities and in the lowest 10 percent in the state. Below are average single-family home tax bills in surrounding communities, according to MassDOR.
Petersham $5,707 242
Montague $4,928 291
Orange $4,910 292
Warwick $4,795 298
Phillipston $4,724 301
Winchendon $4,720 302
Templeton $4,490 318
Athol $3,924 330
Royalston $3,507 336
With all of the turmoil in the world right now, an override question may feel like the only way to oppose the weight of increases in health care, food, and utility costs.
The difference is your local tax dollars stay local and are directly allocated by voters at annual Town Meeting for Athol priorities. These funds also support our residential and business community through provision and purchase of local services. Even the town’s payroll is local with 80 percent of town employees residing in Athol, Orange and Royalston.
If the override does not pass there will be substantive cuts to staffing and programs across many departments including fire, police, public works, library, town hall and to education assessments.
Please take a moment to consider the local impacts of your vote on April 6. It truly is essential.
Shaun A. Suhoski has been the town manager in Athol since 2014.