WILLIAMSTOWN — Voters will confront a half-million-dollar Proposition 2 1/2 override on the ballot, as well as a three-way race for two slots on the Board of Selectmen at the May 11 town election.
The override, the second year in a row one has been sought to fill a budget shortfall, has prompted underground mutterings from those who say the town and schools are spending too much money, and a flurry of telephone calls and letters to the editor from those who believe they must preserve local services.
Passing the override would increase local property taxes by 72 cents per $1,000 of valuation, which would translate to an additional $124.56 on the tax bill for a house at the median price of $173,000. At this year’s tax rate of $14.72, the owner of a median-priced property would receive a bill for $2,529.26.
“We’d have an awful lot to lose if it did not pass,†said George T. “Sam†Crane, a Williams College political science professor heading the pro-override organization Together For Williamstown.
For example, Crane cited a cut of $46,000, or a quarter of its operating budget, from the Williamstown Youth Center, six teaching positions to be cut at Mount Greylock Regional High School, and a sixth-grade teacher and special education teacher from the elementary school roster.
“It would be a disaster,†he said. “We have an incredible amount to lose if the override fails to pass.â€
He acknowledged that this year, “It’s a little grimmer in that we do have to do it again.†But, he said, “We’re finding support.â€
Last year’s override passed with a 62 percent vote, but this year, the ripples of dissent seem more audible.
One opponent said he did not want his name used for fear of repercussions his children might face at school. It is, he said, time to draw the line and stop what he called “enabling behavior.â€
“They [the school committees, especially Mount Greylock] will absolutely continue to budget over the 2 1/2 limit until the townspeople say no,†he said. “I’ve actually had people come to me asking how to explain their opposition to those wanting them to jump on the override bandwagon. I’ve had people say if overrides continue, in the not distant future, they’ll have to move out of town.â€
He added, “I’m hearing a lot more voices this year against the override. As long as voters continue to throw money at them like drunken sailors, spending money is the easiest way to make everybody happy. It becomes our responsibility to say no, and they have to figure out how to do it. I’d like to give them a chance by saying no for a change. If the town votes the override, we get what we deserve. I think voting for the override or giving to the GAP fund is enabling behavior.â€
The GAP fund, established by local residents and teachers, helped restore school sports and co-curricular programs last year by making up for lost state aid through $175,000 in private fund-raising. Williams College gave Mount Greylock an additional $250,000 for teaching positions — with a notice that it would be a one-time gift.
This year’s override, slightly lower than last year’s, would allow exceeding the Proposition 21/2 levy limit by $530,292, a sum broken down as follows: town government, $184,866; the local elementary school, $119,095; Mount Greylock, $156,315, and C.H. McCann Technical School, $70,016.
The general government amount is 3.4 percent over this year’s budget, the elementary school 2.7 over, Mount Greylock 4.2 percent over and McCann 121.4 percent over — a minimum net school-spending requirement.
Override supporters have a Web site detailing the effects if the override fails, togetherforwilliamstown.org. Opponents have no equivalent organization, no “Block the Override†group because, for one reason, according to some opponents, people who are just getting by financially may not want to acknowledge they will be harmed by higher taxes.
The polls at Williamstown Elementary School, will be open from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m., according to Town Clerk Mary C. Kennedy.
In the contest for town offices, incumbent Selectmen’s Chairman John R. Madden, former Selectwoman and longtime town official Anita Barker and political newcomer Philip Guy are vying for two seats on the board.
All three consider the town’s finances the most pressing issue.
Madden, a retired senior vice president of Fleet/Boston and former town school superintendent for five years, is seeking a second term. He has been a member of the Finance Committee and coordinator of the Williamstown Master Plan Steering Committee.
Madden strongly advocates expanding the town’s tax base. As selectman, he has supported the commercial/residential development of Cable Mills and the old town garage site. He has also been a proponent of affordable housing and recreation.
In line with his support for the public schools, he spearheaded hiring a consultant and calling a series of meetings to deal with “issues of trust†at the high school. He serves on a subcommittee developing recommendations for the school’s administrative structure that will launch both school committees’ analysis of alternative organizational school structures. Madden’s efforts at developing consensus positions were considered instrumental in achieving a compromise with North Adams on the effects of the city’s expansion of Harriman & West Airport.
“Our most pressing issues revolve around the budgets,†he said. “I don’t think we can have situations where we have overrides year after year after year. We need to encourage economic development without sacrificing the character of the town, and I think that can be done.â€
Madden said he favors exploring whether Williams College should be asked to contribute annual payments in lieu of taxes, known as PILOT.
“I think it ought to be examined,†he said. “I don’t think PILOT is the panacea, but it could easily be looked at jointly with the college. It would have to be very carefully analyzed, as the basis for any discussion.
He also wants to analyze traffic flow, particularly around Field Park as the Williams nears completion of its multi-million-dollar ’62 Center for Performing Arts.
Madden and his wife, Judy, moved to Williamstown in 1975. They live at 100 Berkshire Drive and have two grown children. He has also been a management consultant and vice president of human resources at Garden Way Inc. He holds a bachelor’s degree in history and social science from Bloomsburg (Pa.) State College, and both a master’s degree and Ph.D. in social science from Syracuse University; his doctorate is also in education.
Barker, who served three terms as selectwoman and was twice chairwoman in the 1980s, is seeking to return to the board. She is a veteran town official, having served five years on the Planning Board, with one term as chairwoman, and five years on the Finance Committee, with two terms as chairwoman. She heads the affordable housing task force and has served on three master plan committees, in 1983, 1990, and 2001. She also heads the Regional Issues Committee of the Berkshire Regional Planning Commission, which is currently focusing on wind power.
Barker is a longtime member of the League of Women Voters and served on the boards of the Williamstown Rural Lands Foundation, the Visiting Nurse Association and the Smith College Club of Berkshire County.
“I don’t want the town to be the rich and the poor but no middle class,†she said, “I’m in favor of the override, but I don’t think we can continue in the economic condition we’re in.
She said town employees should be able to afford to live in town.
“We need to work with our legislators to loosen up state funds, talk to the teachers about the town picking up less than 90 percent of health insurance. And I feel that some of the wealthy, large, private institutions in town must be approached for PILOT.â€
She added, “They have been very generous and given the town a good deal, but it’s all for things that they need – good schools, a usable Spring Street, the hospital, the ambulance service. It’s almost always an ‘ask’ situation. We do not have a dedicated income stream. We can’t count on it. That makes budgeting and planning very difficult. It’s a source we have to explore. If I am elected, I’ll at least be in a position to make some approaches. It’s not just the college, the Clark [Art Institute] is also wealthy and gives no PILOT.
“There’s something wrong when you see the college tearing down perfectly good buildings and building a turf field with lights when the town is trying to raise money with an override,†she said.
Barker and her husband, Francis, moved to Williamstown in 1971 from New York City. They live at Sweetwood and have two grown children.
Guy of 27 Holly Lane is making his first try for elective office. An electrical engineer with 18 years in business, he grew up in Cavendish, Vt., and worked at General Electric in Pittsfield before joining Saint-Gobain, a plastics manufacturing firm in New York state.
A graduate of Stevens Tech in Hoboken, N.J., he holds an MBA from Western New England College in Springfield.
Guy said he would bring “a fresh perspective†to the board, the perspective of someone raising a young family in town.
“I can represent the broader spectrum of people in the community than the current board,†he said.
The president of the East Williamstown Residents Association, Guy acknowledged that he got into the race because of the airport controversy.
“It took a lot of tenacity, doing the research and talking to the people rather than just to the mouthpieces for the airport,†he said. “For so long, people were telling us it was a done deal. We couldn’t have changed it without people acting together.â€
Residents, working with the Selectmen and North Adams Mayor John Barrett III, wrested a compromise that reduced the amount of tree-cutting along Luce Road.
Guy, while stressing his “fresh perspective,†said he would not arrive on the board with preconceived ideas. His list of pressing issues is headed by fiscal responsibility.
“I really want to look at balancing the budget through revenue generation, through organized development of the tax base and expense control, without cutting back on core services. I don’t believe we can keep going back to current property owners and businesses asking for tax increases. We have to grow the tax base. I don’t think you can cut your way to prosperity. You get to the point of cutting core services.â€
Guy said he wants to strive for excellence, which he considers the best way to attract new business.
“We need town services and schools that are world class. We need to set the bar higher,†he said. “It’s important in developing the tax base. The Northeast is one of the most expensive places to do business, and the only way to attract business is to have a great quality of life. In my business, I’m one of the people who decides on plant closures. We’ve always looked at the quality of life. We’ve never looked at airports.â€
He added, “I want to protect the rights of our residents, including the right to live in the community.
Tax increases, he said, “are putting more pressure on people with fixed incomes. We need to look at ways to abate some of the pressures they’re feeling.â€
Guy has lived in Williamstown for eight years and previously lived for seven years in Pittsfield. He and his wife, Lori, have two sons, Sam, 4, and Jeremy, 1.
In the only other race on the ballot, incumbents John Skavlem and Linda Becker are seeking reelection as library trustees, vying for the two open seats with political newcomer Marcus H. Jaffe of Hemlock Lane. Uncontested candidates on the ballot are: moderator, Stanley Parese; Elementary School Committee, incumbent Paula Consolini and David Backus of 261 Pine Cobble Road; Housing Authority, incumbent Sally Cramer; and McCann School Committee, incumbent James R. Gazzaniga.
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State Fire Marshal Offers Cold Snap Heating Safety Tips
STOW, Mass. —With temperatures expected to dip into the teens overnight this week, Massachusetts State Fire Marshal Jon M. Davine is reminding residents to stay warm safely and protect their loved ones from some of the most common home heating fires.
"We're expecting very cold weather in the nights ahead, and home heating appliances will be working overtime," said State Fire Marshal Jon M. Davine. "Heating equipment is the leading cause of carbon monoxide at home and the second leading cause of residential fires. Whether you're using gas, oil, solid fuel, or space heaters to keep warm, be sure you keep safe, too."
State Fire Marshal Davine said there were nearly 6,000 heating fires in Massachusetts from 2019 to 2023. These fires claimed eight lives, caused 139 injuries to firefighters and residents, and contributed to over $42 million in damage. And in 2023 alone, Massachusetts fire departments reported finding carbon monoxide at nearly 5,000 non-fire incidents.
Smoke and Carbon Monoxide Alarms
Every household needs working smoke and carbon monoxide alarms on every level of their home. Check the manufacturing date on the back of your alarms so you know when to replace them: smoke alarms should be replaced after 10 years, and carbon monoxide alarms should be replaced after 5 to 10 years depending on the model. If your alarms take alkaline batteries, put in fresh batteries twice a year when you change your clocks. If it's time to replace your alarms, choose new ones from a well-known, national brand. Select smoke alarms with a sealed, long-life battery and a hush feature.
Natural Gas and Oil Heat
If you have a furnace, water heater, or oil burner, have it professionally checked and serviced each year. This will help it run more efficiently, which will save you money and could save your life. Always keep a three-foot "circle of safety" around the appliance clear of anything that could catch fire. Never store painting supplies, aerosol cans, or other flammable items near these appliances. If you smell gas, don't use any electrical switches or devices: get out, stay out, and call 9-1-1 right away.
Residents struggling to pay for heating bills or maintenance may be eligible for assistance through the Massachusetts home energy assistance program (HEAP). No matter what type of heating equipment you use, HEAP may be able to help you pay your winter heating bills or maintain your heating system. All Massachusetts residents are encouraged to explore eligibility for this free program and apply for assistance.
Solid Fuel Heating
If you use a fireplace or a stove that burns wood, pellets, or coal, always keep the area around it clear for three feet in all directions. This circle of safety should be free of furniture, drapery, rugs, books and papers, fuel, and any other flammable items. To prevent sparks and embers from escaping, use a fireplace screen or keep the stove door closed while burning. Use only dry, seasoned hardwood and don't use flammable liquids to start the fire. To dispose of ashes, wait until they are cool and shovel them into a metal bucket with a lid and place it outside at least 10 feet away from the building.
Have your chimney and flue professionally inspected and cleaned each year. Most chimney fires are caused by burning creosote, a tarry substance that builds up as the fireplace, wood stove, or pellet stove is used. If burning creosote, sparks, embers, or hot gases escape through cracks in the flue or chimney, they can cause a fire that spreads to the rest of the structure. Annual cleaning and inspection can minimize this risk. Contact the Massachusetts Chimney Sweep Guild or Chimney Safety Institute of America to identify reputable local companies.
Space Heaters
Keep space heaters at least three feet from curtains, bedding, and anything else that can burn. Plug them directly into a wall socket, not an extension cord or a power strip, and remember that they're for temporary use. Always turn a space heater off when you leave the room or go to sleep.
When purchasing a space heater, select one that's been tested and labeled by a nationally recognized testing company, such as Underwriters Laboratories (UL) or Intertek (ETL). Newer space heaters should have an automatic shut-off switch that turns the device off if it tips over. Unvented kerosene space heaters and portable propane space heaters are not permitted for residential use in Massachusetts, State Fire Marshal Davine said: the risk of fire and carbon monoxide poisoning that they pose is too great.
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