Understanding the override process.

How does an override pass? Voters must pass the override twice, once at the Town Meeting and once at the polls. If a town meeting occurs first and then an override amount is set, the voters are able to have input on the budget, set the number, and then have the ballot vote. When an override happens first, voter input is eliminated.

Impact if the override passes: Votes are essentially accepting the entire budget before the Annual Town Meeting – eliminating having a voice in the process. An override is a permanent increase, and given the way the override for Townsend is written, the funding can go to anything in the operating budget, meaning even if something is cut later or a position is not filled, the funding can go to something else. Also, if the override happens first, and then voters want to make a change to the budget, there are implications. If something is cut, the Selectboard then has more budget to spend essentially as they wish. if there is something that the voter believes needs more of a budget, they are limited to the override amount and will need to cut a different budget item to increase a preferred budget item.

What happens to the budget if the override fails on April 28? The Selectboard has stated that if the override fails, cuts need to be made. What has not been explained is that an override ballot, if needed, can occur after the Annual Town Meeting.

From our perspective, there was no reason for the BOS to create an override amount (set on March 19) and ballot questions. This number was never provided by the Selectboard to the FinCom before being set. FinCom was actually meeting at the same time that the override amount was announced by the Selectboard. FinCom is supposed to be the budget “watchdog”. How can they be if they don’t have input?

Of course, there was also no discussion of the budget at the Town Meeting, eliminating the voice of the voters.

Since 2010, only 40% of all override votes in the Commonwealth have passed. if Townsend truly needs an override, a process that includes vote input seems like the best process. As does one that is based on an actual budget (not one that in process as our still is). On March 19, when the Selectboard arrived at the $625K amount, budgets reflecting cuts were not yet received from all the departments.