Each year, the Town of Hanson develops its operating budget as the Whitman-Hanson Regional School District (WHRSD) School Committee sets its assessment for the Town. As part of this process, the Town administration reviews all current services and programs and collects budget requests from all departments. These requests are carefully evaluated to align with the Town’s goals while being mindful of the financial impact on taxpayers.
ARTICLE 6: To determine whether the Town will raise and appropriate an additional $3,000,000 from taxation to fund various Town Departments and the Whitman Hanson Regional School District Assessment in the Fiscal Year 2026, provided however, that the amount raised and appropriated hereunder shall be expressly contingent upon approval by the voters at an election of a so-called 2 ½ override question in accordance with the provisions of Chapter 59, Section 21C(g) of the General Laws; or take any other action in relation thereto.
Explanation: This article refers to the FY2026 Annual budget line that would be increased if a Town of Hanson Operational Budget and Whitman Hanson Regional School District Operational Assessment override is passed at the May 2025 Annual Town Election. The override breakdown equals $1,477,627 for WHRSD assessment, $344,000 to add four (4) additional Firefighters/Paramedics to the Fire Department and $1,178,373 for Town of Hanson operational/government services.
The FY26 proposed total operating budget request from town departments is $39,186,078. The Hanson Finance Committee is recommending a $37,155,087 total operating budget for FY2026, which includes the override, or $35,216,812 without the override.
The Whitman-Hanson Regional School District’s FY26 budget assessment for Hanson — $16,978,902 — is approximately 43% of the Town of Hanson’s overall requested operating budget.
The Town’s proposed FY26 budget also includes services that were previously cut at the May 2024 Town Meeting and restored at an October 2024 Special Town Meeting, resulting in what appears to be a larger percentage increase compared to the FY25 approved and FY26 proposed budgets.
Approximately 2/3 of the Town’s revenue is from real estate property taxes. By limiting the increase to 2.5% each year, we are not able to keep up with increased expenses, especially with increased insurance expenses and contractual obligations such as union wage increases and out-of-town tuition payments. The Town has also faced significant growth and changes in state and federal laws that have increased demand for services such as police, fire and ambulance, highway, and services for veterans and senior citizens. The Town has always had a fiscally conservative budget, and there is no room for significant cuts without impacting services.
The Whitman-Hanson Regional School District is also requesting a 9.55% increase over last year’s budget due to rising health insurance costs, special education expenses, and contractual salary obligations, which are straining the Town’s operating budget.
The Town could ask for a $3 million override to cover that gap in municipal funding to prevent widespread reductions in Town services or make budget cuts.
The Town of Hanson informed the Whitman-Hanson Regional School District (WHRSD) and WHRSD School Committee that it had budgeted an increase to the prior year’s assessment of 7.00% or less. The WHRSD School Committee District voted to set Hanson’s assessment increase to 9.55%. The difference in the WHRSD assessment between Fiscal Year 2025 and Fiscal Year 2026 is $1,477,627, which is included in the $3,000,000 override request. The override breakdown equals $1,477,627 for WHRSD assessment, $344,000 to add four (4) additional Firefighters/Paramedics to the Fire Department and $1,178,373 for Town of Hanson operational/government services.
One recurring question that has been asked is why the Town of Hanson is asking for an override every year.
The fact is that overrides have not been requested every year. Over the past 15 years, overrides have been proposed five times and passed twice, in 2012 and 2021.
Click here, or view the Documents & Presentations page, for a more detailed history of overrides in Hanson.
The Whitman-Hanson Regional School District provides its assessment request to the Hanson Select Board as part of its operating budget. The Select Board can discuss and take a vote to reject the assessment and send it back to the School Committee for reevaluation, but cannot directly add to or cut from the school budget as it does not have control over the school budget.
Ultimately, the assessment is placed on the Town Meeting warrant for approval. If Town Meeting votes to reject the school budget, the School Committee has to reevaluate and lower the budget.
The Town may need to cut up to 36 full-time positions without an override.
Without an override, the Whitman-Hanson Regional School District would also need to cut positions, but it’s not immediately clear how many.
Residential: 93%
Commercial: 4%
Industrial: 1%
Personal Property: 2%
The annual proposed budgets are available here.
For FY26 budget information for Whitman-Hanson Regional School District, visit the District’s website.
Additional resources are available under the “documents and presentations” tab of this website. You may also contact Town Administrator Lisa M. Green via email at lgreen@hanson-ma.gov, or call (781) 293-2131.
The Massachusetts Department of Revenue’s Division of Local Services (DLS) offers a wealth of information and can provide Hanson’s figures with helpful comparisons to other municipalities. The data can be found here: Municipal Finance Trend Dashboard Reports
Proposition 2 ½ is a Massachusetts law that limits the amount of revenue a city or town may raise, or levy, from local property taxes each year to fund municipal operations. Proposition 2½ establishes two types of voter-approved increases in taxing authority: overrides and debt exclusions.
An override is a permanent increase to the levy limit. It is designed to provide funding for municipal expenses likely to recur or continue into the future, such as annual operating and fixed costs. However, an override may be used for any municipal spending purpose.
A debt exclusion is a temporary tax increase, with the length determined by the term of bonds purchased. Once the bond term ends, no further taxation is needed. Debt exclusions are used for capital projects, such as public building, public works projects, land and equipment acquisitions.
The District is requesting $16, 978,902, for FY26. This is an increase of 9.55% over Hanson’s prior fiscal year assessment. Superintendent Jeffrey Szymaniak attributed the increase to rising health insurance costs, special education expenses, and contractual salary obligations.
The District’s FY26 budget is approximately 43% of the Town of Hanson’s overall requested budget.
The Whitman-Hanson Regional School District (WHRSD) provides its assessment request to the Hanson Select Board as part of its operating budget. The assessment is placed on the Town Meeting warrant for consideration. If Town Meeting votes to not approve the school assessment, the assessment goes back to the School Committee for reevaluation.
The regional school district budget process is defined by the Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE). Click here to read more about the process from DESE.
The Hanson Police Department’s budget request for Fiscal Year 2026 is $3,673,830, which is a 7.83% increase over the FY25 budget of $3,406,977.
Police Chief Michael Miksch said that any potential cuts to the budget would return the Hanson Police Department to the level of its Fiscal Year 2020 budget. If the department were forced to cut its budget, three full-time police officers would be laid off, resulting in police station closures due to it not being staffed 24/7. Additional cuts could come in the form of a part-time officer, professional/legal services, training services, and capital improvements.
The Hanson Fire Department currently staffs four Firefighters/Paramedics per shift. No staffing has been added to shifts since 2002, when the Fire Department went from three to four members.
The Hanson Fire Department is seeing a rise in call volume each year. In particular, the number of simultaneous calls is steadily increasing. In 2024, there were multiple calls 46% of the time there was a call. The Fire Department has less staffing than most area departments with a similar call volume.
As part of a potential override, the Hanson Fire Department would be requesting $344,000, which would allow the department to increase to five Firefighters/Paramedics per shift. This amount includes all costs, including health insurance.
