Budget Cuts Spark Debate at Whitman Special Town Meeting

Residents clash over public safety, building inspector positions after failed override vote

WHITMAN - June 11 - Whitman residents debate and vote on a reduced budget during a special town meeting on June 11, 2025, following the defeat of a $2 million Proposition 2 1/2 override at the polls last month.

The meeting, which focused on Article 2, the town's annual budget, reveals the difficult choices facing the community after voters rejected additional funding. Town officials present a balanced budget that includes cuts across multiple departments.

"I remember when I was in school reading The Wizard of Oz, not as a fairy tale, but as a text of how you handle changes," Select Board Chair Dr. Carl Kowalski tells the audience. "Our town meeting a few weeks ago and the town meeting tonight... I hope it remembers a motto, and that motto is to use your head and follow your heart and act with courage."

Town Administrator Mary Beth Carter explains that the town faces a deficit of $2 million, requiring significant budget reductions. The Whitman-Hanson Regional School Committee agrees to reduce its operating assessment by $1,064,000 compared to what was voted at the May 5 annual town meeting.

"I would like to thank the Superintendent of the Whitman-Hanson Regional School District, Jeff Szymaniak, and the Whitman-Hanson Regional School Committee for voting last Wednesday evening to certify the reduced operating assessment suggested by the town in the amount of $19,917,569," Carter says.

The school committee's reduction means eliminating 23 positions, including administrative staff, teachers, interventionists, and library aides. Despite the cuts, only three long-term employees will be laid off, with others filling different positions.

"Those cuts include the elimination of one administrative position, three elementary classroom teachers, three middle school teachers, two high school teachers, six elementary math interventionists, five middle school interventionists, the library aides of the two middle schools," Finance Committee Chair Kathleen Ottina explains.

The school district also plans to consider increases to athletic and activity fees, with Superintendent Szymaniak proposing a $500 fee per sport per season with no family cap, potentially costing families with children in multiple sports up to $1,500 annually.

A tense exchange occurs between former Selectman Randy LaMattina and School Committee member Steve Bois when LaMattina questions the school district's use of excess and deficiency funds and makes a motion to reduce the school budget by $500,000. Moderator Michael Seele intervenes asking for assistance from the Constable and shutting down the discussion as it turns personal.

Public safety cuts spark the most heated debate of the evening. The Fire Department faces a reduction equivalent to two firefighter positions, while the Police Department sees similar cuts.

Fire union president Scott Figgins argues passionately against the reductions, noting that eight years ago, town voters approved an override specifically to add four firefighters.

"We have not increased staffing to this department in over 70 years," Figgins says. "We are the only department that is getting cut and getting a significant cut. There's over 500 employees or about 500 employees in one department. Twenty-three positions out of 500 is not a significant cut. Two positions to 24 members is a significant cut and will be detrimental to this town."

Resident Tina Moniz commented on the May 17 override vote, "It was very clear that cuts were real. People knew when they voted no, there would be cuts to police, fire, and many town departments. Yet 70% of Whitman voters still said no."

Select Board member Shawn Kain announces a plan to use $150,000 from ambulance revenue to help fund police and fire shifts, though this would require approval at a fall town meeting rather than immediate implementation.

The Building Inspector position generates significant discussion when residents learn it will be reduced from full-time to part-time. Zoning Board of Appeals Chairman John Goldrosen expresses concern about losing an experienced professional.

"If the building inspector, who's currently full-time and wants to have a salary commensurate with that, we’ll probably lose that person," Goldrosen says. "And so this will be a case of not just reducing the hours but losing an experienced person and having to go out and see who's out there and willing to work on a part-time basis for the town."

Building Commissioner Robert Piccirilli emphasizes his role in public safety and warns about upcoming growth in town construction projects.

"The state has just enacted a new Emergency Housing Act that includes multifamily dwellings, housing, accessory dwelling units, lot merger relief, and a separate legislature for the MBTA overlay district," Piccirilli says. "You currently have multiple three- and four-story buildings in the queue getting ready to be built. The town of Whitman and every other town is about to explode."

After debate, residents vote to restore the Building Inspector position to full-time, using $32,018 from free cash to supplement the budget.

Veterans Services also receives attention when Director Declan Ware points out that state regulations require a full-time veterans agent for towns with populations over 12,000. Residents vote to maintain the position as full-time, allocating $13,265 from free cash.

Board of Health Chair Danielle Clancy expresses frustration about cuts to her department, particularly the reduction of the administrative assistant's hours.

"We're losing our administrative assistant not for one day a week. We are losing our administrative assistant, period," Clancy explains, describing how union rules will cause staff to "bump" each other into different positions. "I've never seen morale as low as it is right now in town hall."

The meeting concludes with the passage of the amended budget and a decision to pass over Articles 3 and 4, which would have addressed collective bargaining agreements with police and fire unions that remain under negotiation.

Disclosure: South Shore News founder Justin Evans is a current member of the Whitman Select Board.

Full meeting available via WHCA.