Southampton faces real budget choices this spring. Two override questions are on the ballot — both need a YES to protect the library, Norris, and essential town services.
This May, Southampton voters will see two separate override questions on the ballot. We strongly recommend voting YES on both. If you support the full $2.5M override, it's especially important to vote yes on both questions — some voters may only vote for the smaller override, and if the $2.5M question falls short, having the $1.9M question pass is far better than neither passing. You can safely vote YES on both: only one override will be enacted, and it will be the larger one if both pass. Here's what each scenario means for our town. Learn exactly how this works →
If both questions fail, Southampton's base budget requires significant cuts across nearly every department. These are not hypothetical — they are the proposed line items.
The figures below reflect the year-over-year change from FY26 to FY27 in the proposed base budget — the budget that goes into effect if no override passes. All data is sourced from the town's official budget model.
Source: Town of Southampton FY27 budget model. Full detail available at town meetings and through the town administrator's office.
A tax override is a permanent increase to Southampton's property tax levy. Here's what each scenario means for a typical Southampton homeowner.
Even without an override, Southampton's tax rate rises 2.5% per year under Proposition 2½. The table below compares the base budget tax bill (no override) against the estimated bill under the $2.5M override — so the difference shown is the true cost of the override above what you'd already be paying.
The FY2026 average single-family assessed value in Southampton is $489,197, meaning the average household would see an override-related increase of approximately $831 per year — about $69 per month. Your actual impact depends on your home's assessed value.
Source: Massachusetts DLS Tax Impact Calculator, populated with Southampton's FY2026 levy and assessed value data for a $2.5M override.
| Assessed Home Value | Base Budget Tax Bill No override · @ $13.44/$1,000 |
$2.5M Override Tax Bill Estimated · @ $15.14/$1,000 |
Override Increase | Per Month |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $250,000 | $3,360 | $3,785 | +$425 | +$35 |
| $350,000 | $4,704 | $5,299 | +$595 | +$50 |
| $450,000 | $6,048 | $6,813 | +$765 | +$64 |
| $489,197 (avg) | $6,575 | $7,406 | +$831 | +$69 |
| $550,000 | $7,392 | $8,327 | +$935 | +$78 |
| $650,000 | $8,736 | $9,841 | +$1,105 | +$92 |
| $750,000 | $10,080 | $11,355 | +$1,275 | +$106 |
| $850,000 | $11,424 | $12,869 | +$1,445 | +$120 |
| $950,000 | $12,768 | $14,383 | +$1,615 | +$135 |
| $1,050,000 | $14,112 | $15,897 | +$1,785 | +$149 |
Figures sourced from the Massachusetts DLS Tax Impact Calculator using Southampton's FY2026 assessed values and levy data for a $2.5M override. The $1.9M override would produce a proportionally smaller rate increase. Your assessed value appears on your property tax bill — or search the Southampton Assessors database.
Run your own calculation at the MA DLS Tax Calculator →
This isn't about overspending. It's about a structural gap between what things cost and what the law allows towns to raise in property taxes.
Proposition 2½ limits how much a Massachusetts city or town can increase its property tax levy each year — to 2.5% plus the value of new construction. When costs rise faster than 2.5% (as they have in recent years due to inflation, benefits costs, and utilities), towns face a structural shortfall. The only way to raise more than the limit allows is a voter-approved override.
The $2.5M override simply maintains current service levels and restores positions lost at Norris last year. Southampton is not asking for more — it's asking to keep what it has.
Rising costs for healthcare, benefits, utilities, and contracted services have consistently outpaced the 2.5% cap. The shortfall has been growing for years and can no longer be papered over.
Dozens of Massachusetts communities have passed overrides in recent years — including neighboring towns — for exactly the same structural reasons.
Proposition 2½ was specifically designed to give voters — not politicians — the final say on tax increases. This vote is that mechanism working exactly as intended.
We recognize that higher taxes are a real burden, especially for those on fixed incomes. But for most Southampton homeowners, their home is their most valuable asset — and school quality is one of the single biggest drivers of property values in towns like ours. When schools decline, demand for homes in that community tends to follow. Maintaining our schools and services isn't just about the community we want to live in — it's about protecting what is likely your largest financial investment.
The most powerful thing you can do is talk to your neighbors. Here are other ways to support the campaign.
Add your name to our pledge tracker and show the community where you stand.
Put a sign in your yard to show your neighbors you're voting YES on both.
Stay up to date and connect with other supporters in the community.
May 2 at 10:00 AM, Norris School. Your voice matters before the ballot.
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