On June 2, Buckland voters will decide whether to pass an override to raise $500,000 to fund the 2027 operating budget. We already approved it unanimously at Buckland’s annual Town Meeting in May.
If the override fails, the town of Buckland will need to make significant cuts to its operating budget. The Selectboard and Finance Committee shared at an April 30 information session that they expect to begin by targeting accounts that include funding for the transfer station, Arms and Buckland Libraries, Buckland Recreation and Museum, and more.
According to the town, if voters approve the override, then a property valued at $350,000 could estimate having its taxes go up an additional $530. But if the override fails, residents will likely see hours reduced at the transfer station and libraries, and the playground and pool closed. Unrepaired roads will cost more money to residents in car repairs, flooding, injury, or worse. And roads not maintained in the earlier stages become much more expensive to fix later, causing budget problems down the road.
Consumer Reports estimates that poorly maintained roads cost drivers an additional $725 per year in increased maintenance and gas costs, and private curbside trash pickup can cost over $600 per year. Traveling to Greenfield for swimming lessons or water exercise classes also is more expensive, and libraries save patrons money while bringing valuable programming and resources into the community.
Worse, for a book and literary event hound like me, these cuts would also put Buckland at risk of decertification by the Massachusetts Board of Library Commissioners, which could lead to loss of membership within the larger computerized book-sharing network (interlibrary loans) and other resources, like e-books, DVDs, magazines, etc.
The library is so important to me that I served as a trustee of Arms Library last year and resigned only due to health challenges. So I know firsthand how much both libraries bring into our community. Access to quality information, help with research and homework, programs to keep children reading in summer and throughout the year, book groups, and writing groups, are just the basics. The social and cultural value of our libraries, the Buckland Museum, and the new pool and playground are so much greater than the small portion of our budget that they represent. Each library only spends one-tenth of what we have budgeted for our schools, yet libraries educate and inform and provide community for the entire population.
I plan to vote “yes” on Question One on June 2 at Buckland Town Hall. Given the support of the budget at the Town Meeting, I have faith that Buckland residents will rise to the occasion and as Finance Committee chair Larry Langford said, vote “for the town we want.” One where the community can freely gather to fulfill our cultural, recreational, and informational needs, and uphold our quality of life and civic responsibilities. We truly can’t afford not to take care of each other this way.
Karina Lutz
Shelburne Falls