SOUTH HADLEY — A proposed $3.5 million Proposition 2½ override moved one step closer to the ballot box this fall after a majority of the Select Board voiced support for the question.

In an informal survey during the June 16 Select Board meeting, four of the five members said they would back a $3.5 million override question on the ballot. Board member Kevin Hennessey, who dissented, wants to find more potential budget savings to whittle down the override figure while board member Priscilla Marion said she would support $3.5 million, but preferred an April vote.

The funds would help preserve services while the town continues to develop cost-saving measures and stimulate economic growth. A September election would give families with school-age children some stability and ensure the funds will last three budget cycles, according to town officials.

“Parents are waiting in the wings to decide to stay or leave, and I don’t want to see more leave,” Select Board Chair Jeff Cyr said.

According to the Division of Labor Services calculator, the average single-family household of $417,100 would pay an additional $560 in property taxes a year if a $3.5 million override passed. This is on top of the yearly 2.5% increase in the tax levy. If approved, residents would see the override’s impact on the property tax bills next year.

The Select Board will officially vote on a ballot question at its July 14 meeting.

Many residents voiced opposition to the override during public meeting. They claimed local government officials had not done enough to gain back their trust after the failed $9 million and $11 million override votes in April. Many of the speakers also said an override of any amount would be unaffordable for those on a fixed income.

“I don’t know whether we have bad reporting or bad government, but we don’t have a good outcome,” resident Wayne Wetzel said, “We need a better outcome on both the income and the expense side of the budget before you ask taxpayers to contribute to a never-ending deficit problem.”

Other speakers in support of the override urged the Select Board to act quickly and choose a number that would pass. Many parents will decide whether to leave South Hadley Public Schools based on this conversation.

“We need a plan,” resident Jill Kovalchik said. “We just need an override. I don’t want one, but we need one. We have to do something.”

Previously, the town proposed both a $9 million and $11 million override to avoid major, iterative cuts to town and school services, including all school sports and extracurriculars, library state accreditation and reduced staffing across the board.

When this vote failed, Town Meeting allocated $1.7 million in reserve funds to level-fund the school department and maintain library state certification. But Town Administrator Lisa Wong said this one-time cash infusion does not sidestep the projected budget deficits for future years.

“You could get rid of every single town department and it would equal the deficit that we have in about five years” Wong said. “There’s only so much savings or efficiencies or shared services we can do.”

The $3.5 million proposal concentrates on preserving school services while minimizing cuts to other departments. Wong plans to stretch the override funds across three years by investing the money through an override stabilization fund. Meanwhile, the town government would continue to find $1 million in savings by restructuring positions, undergoing a state audit and reevaluating local fees.

“We’re rolling up our sleeves and looking at every little corner that we can with the limited staff that we have,” Wong said.

Some residents said $3.5 million is too high of an ask for property owners. Most retirement plans lack financial flexibility to absorb higher property taxes, Joanna Brown said. Jim Grandchamp said his trash, utility and excise bills have all increased, but the money seems to disappear in the $61.4 million budget. Ashley Crawley pointed to 2024 census data that suggests half the town is 500% below the federal poverty line.

“Until residents are provided with a clear picture of exactly what would change if the override doesn’t pass, it’s difficult for them to determine whether those changes justify a permanent increase in their property taxes during what may be a financial difficult time for them,” Crawley said.

“Transparency” was the word of the evening. Those against the override wanted more answers to the town’s spending habits. Those in favor of the override pleaded with the Select Board to give residents enough information to make an informed decision.

“It’s transparency. We’ve heard that word a lot,” Marion said. “People want to know we exhausted absolutely everything before going into their wallets.”

Marion and Hennessey continue to meet with department heads and speak with town staff to find potential savings, but despite protests from residents about more opportunities to save, other municipal leaders remains doubtful that any measure could avert an override.