Proposed overrides defeated, Athol faces $1.78 million budget cut

ATHOL – Following the defeat of two Proposition 2 ½ overrides at Monday’s Town Election, Town Manager Shaun Suhoski presented a two-phase, two-year plan aimed at doing “the least harm.”

The proposed overrides were for $1.8 million and another for $2.9 million. The lesser amount would have maintained current services, while the larger would have done this and also allowed for some hires that officials deemed essential. Had both been approved, the larger amount would have been used.

“Obviously, we know the outcome of the election yesterday. We know our revenue figures now because the override was turned down – soundly,” said Suhoski at the April 7 Selectboard meeting. “So, what I’m going to outline is an approach to deal with the $1.78 million variance we have between projected revenue and expenses.”

This was the first budget discussion for the two new members of the board, Alex Blake, Jr., and Russell Raymond, who won their seats in Monday’s election.

Also on hand for Tuesday’s meeting were members of the Finance and Warrant Advisory Committee and Capital Program Committee.

Suhoski explained that he and his financial team had, prior to the election, worked on an FY27 budget which took into account the overrides being defeated.

“We have a revenue projection of $27.3 million,” said the town manager, adding that this had been vetted by the Selectboard and FWAC in February. “We’ve seen no change in projections since then.”

The town’s preliminary budget is $29.1 million, a nearly $1.8 million difference between revenues and proposed expenditures. Suhoski explained that the revenue shortfall would result in somejobs going unfilled.

“The approach we want to follow is the one that will do the least harm,” Suhoski said. “The least harm to our residents that utilize our services, the least harm to the departments that deliver them and the least harm as well to our staff.”

The first phase of the plan, which will begin this year, calls for four vacant municipal positions to remain unfilled; one each in the fire, police and public works departments, as well as the position of assistant public health agent.

In addition, the plan calls for the elimination of the summer beach program, including the program’s director and seasonal lifeguards, as well as the director and youth counselor positions from the summer recreation program not being filled. This would cut $352,000 from the budget.

Suhoski added that an additional four and half positions—four full-time and one part-time—at Town Hall, Athol Public Library, and the DPW will be laid off, amounting to a cut in salaries of just over $256,000.

The first phase also includes a request to the Athol Royalston Regional School Committee that it reduce Athol’s FY27 assessment for education by $300,000.

“I don’t know if they can,” he said. “I don’t know if they will. But this is a whole-community approach.”

Suhoski said the second phase would see additional cuts and reductions amounting to $892,200, which have yet to be determined, allowing the town to meet its goal of $1.78 million in reductions.

“We believe the two-year approach is the best for residents, the departments, to absorb the cuts – and the cuts are real, with eight and a half, nine of them coming this year,” said Suhoski.

Several meetings to finalize the FY27 budget recommendation are scheduled in the weeks ahead. The Finance Committee meets at 5:30 p.m. next Tuesday, April 14, in Room 21 at Town Hall. The Selectboard meets again at 7 p.m. on Tuesday, April 21, in Room 21.

A joint meeting of the Selectboard, Finance Committee, Suhoski and his finance team and other town officials is scheduled for 6 p.m., Tuesday, April 28, at Athol Public Library.