Southampton Select Board Says FY27 Override Needed for Level Services

Select Board · Meeting of February 17, 2026

Southampton Select Board signals a Proposition 2 1/2 override will be required to fund level services in fiscal year 2027. Town Administrator Scott told the four-member board Tuesday that Hampshire Regional's initial FY27 assessment would raise Southampton's share by roughly $250,000 to $275,000 — more than 5 percent — an amount likely to consume the entire Proposition 2 1/2 levy increase and leave nothing for other cost pressures. Cannabis excise revenue is trending toward approximately $160,000, one of the few positive revenue signals, but health insurance remains a wild card: with GIC open enrollment running through April and final plan selections unknown until May 1, the day before town meeting, the insurance line alone could swing several hundred thousand dollars in either direction, leaving open the possibility the board amends the budget on the town meeting floor.

Member Stephen Johnson pressed the town administrator directly: "There's no reasonable expectation that we could continue level services without an override" — a characterization Scott confirmed. The board acknowledged a 30-day election-notice requirement will likely force a formal override vote sometime in March.

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Source: the Select Board meeting of February 17, 2026, reported from the official video recording and transcript.