by Mark Gosselin, Co-Chair, Save South Hadley
The recent letter claiming that South Hadley is on a “spending spree” leaves out the most important context: our town is not overspending—it is confronting the consequences of more than a decade of cuts, declining state aid, rising costs, and the exhaustion of one‑time funds. The Budget Task Force, a group of residents, financial experts, and town officials, spent a full year studying our long‑term fiscal trends. Their findings were clear: South Hadley has been underfunding essential services for years, and we are now facing a structural deficit that cannot be solved through cuts alone. The override, the proposed SHELD building, and the future Mosier School project are three separate issues, each with its own funding source and its own vote. Conflating them only confuses residents at a moment when clarity is essential.
The letter suggests that “well‑organized efforts dismiss the affordability fears of lower‑income homeowners.” Nothing could be further from the truth. The Save South Hadley Committee is not a political machine or a group of activists—it is a diverse collection of residents who care deeply about the town’s future. It includes parents with children in the schools, older adults on fixed incomes, renters, homeowners, and long‑time community members who understand both the financial pressures families face and the consequences of doing nothing. Acknowledging affordability concerns and recognizing the need for stable town services are not mutually exclusive.
The claim that “652 town employees” are a special interest group trying to protect their jobs is also misleading. The Budget Task Force documented that South Hadley’s municipal workforce has been shrinking for years. Our police officers, building inspectors, public works crews, and library and human services staff are already doing the work of multiple positions. Compared to neighbouring towns with similar populations, South Hadley is significantly understaffed, not bloated. The crisis we face is not driven by employees protecting jobs—it is driven by the town’s inability to maintain even basic staffing levels after years of reductions.
The letter also claims that South Hadley has failed to pursue PILOT (Payment in Lieu of Taxes) agreements with tax‑exempt institutions. This is simply false. The Budget Task Force identified PILOTs as a priority, and the Selectboard has already begun that work. But PILOTs alone cannot close a multimillion‑dollar structural deficit. There is no magic bullet—not PILOTs, not cuts, not new growth, not fee increases. The Task Force made clear that the town needs multiple strategies working together, and the override provides the stability needed to implement them.
It is also important to recognize that South Hadley is not alone. Communities across Western Massachusetts—including Amherst, Granby, and Belchertown—are facing similar budget crises driven by rising costs, declining or stagnant state aid, and the end of federal grants. Moving to a neighbouring town or choosing school choice is no longer the “safe” alternative it once was; those districts are also cutting staff, programs, and services.
If the override fails, the consequences will be immediate and severe. The FY27 budget presentation outlines cuts to police staffing, public works, inspections, libraries, senior services, and splash pads. The schools would lose all sports, all after‑school activities, music programs, and fifteen student‑facing positions, with class sizes rising into the high 20s and 30s. These are not scare tactics—they are documented line items. Once programs, staff, and services disappear, they are extremely difficult to rebuild. Families will leave. Fewer families will move in. Property values will stagnate. The sense of community that defines South Hadley—our schools, our public spaces, our safety, our “Tiger Pride”—will erode. The town as we know it may not recover.
This is a difficult moment, and residents will need to make difficult decisions. But the alternative—allowing South Hadley to enter a downward spiral of cuts and decline—is far more costly. The override is not about extravagance; it is about preserving the essential services that make South Hadley a strong, liveable community and giving the town the time it needs to implement long‑term solutions.