BELCHERTOWN — When the high school’s television projected 941 votes in favor of the School Department’s $34.54 million fiscal year 2026 budget to 154 votes against, a majority of the nearly 1,100 in attendance at a packed Town Meeting on Saturday erupted into cheers.

In approving the town’s $66 million fiscal year 2026 budget, which includes the school spending plan, residents solidified a $2.9 million Proposition 2½ override just a little more than a week after it passed at the ballot box by 21 votes.

Saturday’s successful vote capped off a tumultuous spring for the school department and town during which debate raged between those concerned about the impacts of high property taxes on their home budgets and those worried that any more level-service budget cuts would cripple the School Department.

“It [the school district] is one of the biggest reasons why families move here. It hosts this very town meeting,” said Nora Dyer Murphy, resident and member of Belchertown’s Class of 2024. “But even without all of these reasons, isn’t our children’s future education enough of an investment? Isn’t ensuring that our children grow up to be strong, independent, competent adults, enough?”

With such an important question on the Town Meeting warrant on Saturday, nearly 1,100 people packed into the Belchertown High School gymnasium at 8:30 a.m. in an effort to steer the town’s financial direction. Residents trickled out as the meeting continued over the next three hours, but the remaining attendees approved a bevy of other items, including additional tax breaks for seniors and disabled veterans, including donation funds to soften costs, two work-off programs and two provisions of the HERO Act designed to help veterans.

But it was the school budget that drew the most interest, and has done so since February when the School Department announced an over $2.4 million shortfall to its level-service budget. That number later shrunk to $1.6 million, the request included in the override.

Despite comments about investing in children and teachers, residents against the override clarified that their objections are not about schools or teachers, but focused instead of good budgeting practices from the school department.

“This is not against all teachers, by any stretch. I’m from a family of teachers,” resident Lynn Sykes said. “I think what it really had to deal with was the fact of being a bit more creative in terms of budgets, so we don’t always have to go onto taxpayers to always come up with the burden.”

A few residents questioned articles earmarking additional money to the schools for capital projects, on top of the additional funding from the override. Ultimately, every budget and capital article passed, including door locks and new heat pump for Chestnut Hill Community School and a new phone system for Jabish Brook Middle School.

Other capital items approved by Town Meeting include a replace fire suppression pipe at the Freedom Center, renovations at the former emergency services department building and repairs for the Town Hall front entrance, totaling $420,912.

New tax exemptions and tax breaks

In response to feedback from senior and veteran residents, the Select Board proposed a few options to mitigate tax burdens for those on fixed incomes.

The first are two separate tax work-off programs, which allow 10 seniors and 10 disabled veterans to work for the town and earn up to $1,500 off their tax bills. The program will accept the first residents to apply, and then roll through the remaining applicants on the list in future years. Seniors and veterans can also offer a proxy who lives in their household to volunteer on their behalf.

“I am proud to say that your assessors, as well as the director of the senior center and the director of the veterans department, have all already met and have developed a system because they believe in this as well,” said Lesa Lessard Pearson, acting chair of the Select Board.

The Select Board’s tentative criteria for both programs limits participants to those with a single income of no more than $50,000 a year, a head of household income of $66,000 a year and a marriage income of $82,000 a year. Residents also cannot have over $250,000 in assets, with the exception of their home.

In addition to the veteran work-off program, disabled veterans now qualify for two additional tax exemptions as part of the HERO Act. One of the new benefits increases tax exemptions based on the annual cost-of-living increases. The other relief measure would allow additional exemptions up to, but not exceeding, 100% of a veteran’s current exemptions.

Town Meeting voters also approved two assistance funds, one for seniors and low-income residents and another for veterans, to supplement tax payments. This veterans assistance fund and aid to the elderly and disabled tax fund will accept voluntary donations from residents who earmark money on their tax bills.

Additional articles

In an effort to better enforce traffic rules, speed limits on roads in thickly-settled residential and business districts without an existing posted sign will drop from 30 mph to 25 mph. While resident Michael Hofler argued that this measure would not be effective to combat speeding in town, Town Manager Steve Williams supported the change as one tool to help police enforce speed limits.

“While this may not be a perfect program to educate drivers, it gives the police department an effective enforcement measure,” he said.

The town adopted two new roads as public ways, qualifying them for state aid to fund upkeep and repairs. One area, known as Hickory Hills subdivision, includes Magnolia Lane, Sycamore Circle and Dogwood Drive. Wood Edge Road, the second accepted roadway, raised some debate from residents against any more construction in the area. However, Williams made clear that this vote is not about development along the road, just the road itself.

Town Meeting also approved all nine projects funded through the Community Preservation Act. These include conservation of the horse barn at Lampson Brook Farm, improvements to the Belchertown High School fields, accessibility measures to the McPherson Garden, preservation of the Firefighter Museum, enhancement of Tri-Lake system, renovations to the Town Beach parking lot, survey of land parcels, archiving town records and refurbishing graves in South Street Cemetery.

Emilee Klein can be reached at eklein@gazettenet.com.