Political Notebook: South Hadley voters reject controversial Proposition 2½ override

 

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Political Notebook: South Hadley voters reject controversial Proposition 2½ override   April 15, 2026 By HALLIE CLAFLIN, JORDAN WOLMAN, AND CHRIS LISINSKI

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South Hadley voters rejected a controversial Proposition 2½ override on Tuesday that would have increased property taxes by 50 percent over five years. The Western Massachusetts town of 18,000 is facing a $3 million budget deficit that threatens to grow in the coming years. Nearly 59 percent of voters said no to a $9 million tax override, while nearly 66 percent said no to an $11 million override, according to unofficial results.

The proposals sparked a heated local debate as sluggish state aid growth and strict limits on local tax increases continue to trap many local governments in a difficult position with few options to manage rising costs.

Town Administrator Lisa Wong said local schools have the most at stake and warned that extracurricular activities, sports programs, and Advanced Placement classes could be cut. Positions within the town’s police, public works, human services, and more will likely be eliminated or reduced.

“Right now, every department is being affected,” Wong told CommonWealth Beacon. “Our tax base is significantly lower than a lot of the surrounding towns that are a lot smaller. When we have a small base that's only allowed to increase by two and a half percent, it's hard for us to catch up.”

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The town’s budget crunch has been mainly driven by skyrocketing health insurance costs and state aid that has fallen behind inflation.

“Fix health insurance and provide consistent levels of state aid, and we probably would never have to ask for an override,” Wong said.

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