At Town Meeting this Monday, May 11, Deerfield will vote on whether to adopt the Specialized Building Code, which many towns in the commonwealth have adopted. Adopting this code is linked to accessing state grants and ensuring that local building standards remain up-to-date in safety and efficiency.
Last year the Deerfield Finance Committee was asked to do a cost-benefit analysis for their decision not to support the Specialized Building Code, and therefore the Climate Leader Program for Deerfield. They have not followed through with the request. In the Finance Committee meeting last year when they decided not to support it, the language they used was around not wanting to tell people what to do. This is a libertarian talking point, not a financial analysis.
The Finance Committee has fiscal responsibility to make sound financial decisions for Deerfield. Ashfield became a Climate Leader in 2025 and has already secured $850,000 to install solar on municipal sites. This is projected to save the town nearly $2 million over 25 years. So again I ask the Finance Committee of Deerfield: On what data is your decision to vote against the Specialized Building Code based?
Erika Higgins Ross
Deerfield