Hatfield Select Board weighs $1.5 million override for FY2024 town services

HATFIELD -- March 21, 2023, Hatfield officials say a Proposition 2½ override of at least $1.5 million will be needed to maintain town services in fiscal year 2024. Select Board Chair Luke Longstreeth and Member Julia Frisby met jointly with the Finance Committee on March 21, working through a draft budget already $183,000 out of balance before new department requests, including $400,000 for the school to reach level services, $200,000 for the police department, and approximately $259,000 to raise the town's health insurance contribution from 55 to 65 percent. A Finance Committee member warned that declining school enrollment and rising charter school tuition costs have eroded state aid, saying the town risks a "slippery slope" if it fails to invest now. Using a state calculator, officials put the average household impact of a $1.5 million override at $855 annually on a current average tax bill of $4,994. The board must finalize an override amount before the May 9 Annual Town Meeting warrant is closed; no consensus was reached Tuesday on whether to present the question as a lump sum or a line-item menu.