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JUNE 18, 2026 | FREE
Voters pass override, avoid ‘catastrophic’ cuts IN THIS
EDITION
By Trent Levakis
tlevakis@thereminder.com
NORTHAMPTON
Council passes $152.5 million FY27 budget The City Council passed the FY27 budget just weeks before FY28 override conversations take shape.
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POSTAL CUSTOMER
City prepares for nicotine-free generation policy
The city is currently educating people about the new policy.
in comparison to the drastic cuts that would have occurred with a failed override. For example, with the override now passed, the school district will have to cut about six total positions. The $6.9 million ask for taxpayers has been coined as a “shared sacrifice” by Derby during the process, as the city will be adding $1.5 million from stabilization funds to help meet
the budget deficit in full. He added that while the results show this was a divisive ask for the community, he hopes moving forward with the approved override that he and other city officials can show this was a meaningful investment for the city. “I think on the other side of that, understanding that this is See OVERRIDE on page 3
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important parts of this, being able to keep the services that are so critical. Between Police and Fire, keeping our response times are so important,” said Derby. The passing of the override still means that there will be some cuts made around municipal departments so that the city can reorganize its financial foundation for the future. Derby, however, said these will be minor
ECRWSS
Reminder Publishing photo by Trent Levakis
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Voters lined up outside of City Hall and the polls at Easthampton High School to express support both ways for the city’s special election override vote, which ended up passing by a 3,312-3,073 tally.
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EASTHAMPTON — Easthampton voters have approved the $6.9 million tax override during the special city election on June 9, securing the bulk of school and city services that would have been drastically cut if the vote had failed. Residents approved the override through a 3,312-3,073 vote, and according to unofficial results, 47.5% of Easthampton voters came out to the polls. Notably, if the override had failed, the city would have been looking at the loss of at least 35 positions across the school district, at least five positions between the Fire and Police departments, two public works positions and cuts across the board for other municipal departments. The $6.9 million increase to property tax revenue will result in an estimated annual increase of about $1,200 to the average Easthampton home, which is valued at $418,000. Following the election, Mayor Salem Derby told Reminder Publishing that he is relieved that the community stepped up during this unfortunate situation. “I’m relieved that we don’t have to make catastrophic cuts. To the schools, it would have been so devastating. We would have lost students, students that come here from out of district would have left. Having no art, music, P.E., sports; it’s such a dismal life being a student [without these extracurriculars]. So, for me, that really is one of the most