WHITMAN - November 18 - In a meeting that touched on multiple fiscal pressures facing the town, the Whitman Select Board voted to investigate taking over bonding responsibility for the new middle school construction project from the Whitman-Hanson Regional School District, a move that could save taxpayers money amid concerns about the district’s ability to secure favorable borrowing rates.
The Full Story
Town Administrator Mary Beth Carter presented a detailed briefing on the complex financial situation surrounding the Whitman Middle School construction project, revealing that the regional school district’s inability to complete required audits has already cost taxpayers and could jeopardize future borrowing.
The district originally planned to borrow $6 million in 2024 at an estimated 4% interest rate, which would have cost the town approximately $240,000 in interest. However, the district needed to increase the amount to $8 million and, lacking completed audits for fiscal years 2022 and 2023, could not obtain a short-term credit rating. When the district went to the competitive market, they received zero bids. Oppenheimer Financial ultimately agreed to provide the funds but at a rate of 5.875%, resulting in actual interest costs of $431,793.31—an additional $191,793.31 beyond what had been budgeted.
The situation worsened in May 2025 when the district attempted to borrow $30 million in bonds to pay off the previous ban and fund continued construction. Despite obtaining permission to use the state’s credit rating through a state house note—with Chapter 70 education funds serving as collateral—the district again received zero bids from two syndicates that had initially expressed interest. The district was forced to accept another short-term ban from Oppenheimer at 4.875% for 10 months, a rate higher than typical short-term borrowing and higher than expected long-term bond rates.
Select Board member Shawn Kain advocated strongly for the town to take immediate action. “I don’t think we should consider it. I think we should make a decision now. I think we should move ahead with this ASAP,” Kain said. “The downside of if this falls apart is catastrophic. The downside of us borrowing … is what? It’s not going to hurt our credit rating. It’s not going to hurt our capacity to borrow. We’ll be able to borrow at a rate that’s going to be realistic. It’s going to save the taxpayers money. And we take control over it.”
Carter explained that the district’s current timeline appears unrealistic. The district has not yet received its final signed 2023 audit and needs to complete both the 2023 and 2024 audits before seeking a bond rating in early February. The 2022 audit took one year to complete. With the ban renewal date of March 18 approaching, Carter expressed serious doubts about whether the district could complete all necessary steps in time.
The proposed solution involves drafting an intermunicipal agreement (IMA) that would allow the town of Whitman to borrow funds using the town’s bond rating while the district would continue handling reimbursement processes with the Massachusetts School Building Authority (MSBA) and managing invoice payments. Bond counsel would draft the IMA, which would require votes by both the school committee and the select board, as well as an article at a special town meeting already planned for January.
Carter noted that the timeline makes immediate action necessary, as even considering it a backup plan if the audits are not complete by January wouldn’t give the process enough time. “We couldn’t possibly pull it together in January for March. It’s not enough time,” she said, supporting the need to begin the process immediately.
Select Board member Justin Evans acknowledged that while the town borrowing for the building may require approval from the MSBA and could break from precedent, it makes logical sense.
Select Board member Dan Salvucci questioned why the district did not assess its borrowing capacity and credit rating before bringing the middle school project to a town meeting vote. “Did the school, regional school, did they look at what their bond rating, if they could actually borrow the money before they even went out and brought, go with the new middle school for the town hall to vote on?” Salvucci asked. He suggested that if voters had known about the audit issues and borrowing challenges, the project might have faced different reception.
Board member Laura Howe raised concerns about transparency, noting that a significant portion of residents opposed the original building project and may not support the town taking over the borrowing. She suggested having financial advisors speak at the special town meeting to ensure residents have complete information. “The elephant in the room is what if the voters don’t vote for it?” Howe said, adding that increased transparency would be crucial given recent events in the district.
Carter clarified that if town meeting voters rejected the IMA, the project would continue with the district borrowing at whatever rates it could secure. “It’s not going to stop the project by voting no, that the town doesn’t take it over,” she explained.
The select board agreed to move forward with planning meetings involving town financial advisors from Unibank Financial Services, bond counsel, auditors from CLA, and school district officials to vet the proposal fully. Board members acknowledged that recent negative publicity surrounding the district’s $1.4 million budget shortfall could further complicate the district’s ability to secure favorable borrowing terms.
School Budget Crisis Sparks Heated Public Comment
The meeting began with impassioned public comment from local business owner Richard Rosen, who delivered a sharp critique of the Whitman-Hanson Regional School District’s budget practices. Rosen argued that while town departments typically submit budget requests of 4-5% that get negotiated down, the school department consistently requests 10-15% increases and demands “all the money.”
“What really has aggravated me for years is that you have the police department, the fire department, DPW, town hall employees, do a pretty good job of submitting budgets that are less than four or five percent,” Rosen said. “The school department, however, comes in and wants all the money. And they come in and they ask for 15 percent, 14 percent, 10 percent. It’s outrageous.”
Referring to the recent discovery of a $1.4 million budget deficit at the school district, Rosen said district leadership should have been immediately dismissed. “What should have happened is the school committee, the chair, or whoever, should have asked the superintendent, who, by the way, I’m going to quote him, said, he said, I saw it on TV, the responsibility lies with me. Well, if the responsibility lies with him, he should have been fired that day,” Rosen stated.
Rosen predicted that the district would lay off teachers rather than administrative staff and said he could “cut a million dollars out of that budget in ten minutes without laying off a teacher” if provided an organizational chart with positions and salaries from teachers up. He called for a forensic audit of the administration and a zero-based budget requirement for next year. “I will be the first one in line to say, we are not going to bail them out of this problem. They need to bail it out themselves, and they can do it,” Rosen concluded.
School committee member Rosemary Hill responded in public comment, defending the district and arguing that the town has consistently underfunded education. “Consistently, we present our budgets, everything, before and at the end we add a school budget. That is improper budgeting. You’re supposed to do the schools first,” Hill said. She noted that the state governor had warned districts to expect 14% increases in the last budget cycle, saying the town did not adequately plan for this. “I do think misleading the public into thinking this is just a problem at the school level and not maybe underfunding and skating way too close to the edge so that any fluctuation would make you a house of cards fall. I think you should probably all wait before you make those assumptions,” Hill stated.
During the budget discussion later in the meeting, Kain provided context on the school district’s financial challenges, noting that the district changed its circuit breaker fund practices about two years ago. The circuit breaker fund reimburses districts for special education costs. Previously, under a policy established after tensions in prior years, the district maintained transparency about circuit breaker use and kept approximately one year’s worth of funding in the account as a reserve. However, Kain explained, the district began spending more circuit breaker funds than it received in reimbursement without explicitly discussing the policy change in committee meetings. When the budget crisis hit, the circuit breaker account was empty, leaving no cushion.
Looking ahead to fiscal year 2027, Kain noted the district faces significant cost pressures including a 3.25% cost-of-living increase for teachers under Unit A contracts, a transportation contract renewal, and potentially a janitorial services contract increase.
Select Board member Dan Salvucci emphasized the importance of maintaining town services. “I don’t want to be cutting off fire and all of a sudden the ambulance can’t get there for 10 minutes and somebody passes. Police department, something’s happening. The cruisers can’t get there for 10 or 15 minutes. That’s a problem,” Salvucci said. He argued that while children and teachers are important, the town should not cut emergency services departments to accommodate school budget requests.
Board member Laura Howe acknowledged the divided community sentiment, noting that recent messaging has sometimes framed the issue as being “against children” if residents don’t support all school funding requests. She emphasized the need to explain budget constraints. “If we ran it to put everything on this burner or the 90% and 80% that is over and over quoted by some people on these meetings, we can’t fund fire, police, DPW. And there are a lot of needs to make the town run,” Howe said. She expressed disappointment that some residents still believe money was stolen rather than understanding the budget was built on unrealistic revenue assumptions.
Tax Classification Hearing Results in Uniform Rate
The select board held a public hearing to determine the residential factor and tax rate classification for fiscal year 2026. Interim Principal Assessor Debbie Krupczak, formerly the assessor in Rockland for 13 years, presented the recommendations on behalf of the Board of Assessors.
Krupczak explained that the town received approval from the Department of Revenue that afternoon after she worked through paperwork since starting her interim position on Thursday. The Board of Assessors recommended a residential factor of one, meaning Whitman would maintain a single uniform tax rate rather than splitting the rate between residential and commercial/industrial/personal property classes.
With residential properties comprising approximately 90% of the town’s total valuation and commercial/industrial/personal property accounting for less than 10%, Krupczak said a split rate would create hardship for commercial taxpayers for minimal residential benefit. “You’d really have to hit the commercial taxpayer with the big whammy,” she explained.
The assessors also recommended voting no on the small commercial exemption and the residential exemption. The uniform rate will result in the average single-family home value increasing from $495,737 to $516,263, with the average tax bill rising approximately $357, from $6,504.07 to $6,861.14.
The town’s projected new growth came in at $125,329, lower than previous years and lower than last years figure of approximately $160,000. Town Administrator Carter noted her concern about the low new growth figures for the past two years, saying that historically from 2015 to 2024, new growth revenue always at least equaled building permit revenue. After four months of fiscal year 2026, building permit revenue is already at 68% of the entire previous year. “So to me, the new growth figures that we have seen the past two years don’t seem right,” Carter said.
Krupczak acknowledged the concern and said that when she spoke with the Department of Revenue that afternoon, she asked whether amended new growth could be filed next year if a thorough review reveals additional growth was missed. The DOR representative confirmed this was possible, though “the ship has sailed for this year.”
Members noted that the low new growth projection matters significantly for budget planning, particularly given revenue-sharing with the school district. Town resident Dawn Byers asked about utility company assessments under the 504 personal property category, referencing a situation approximately 10 years ago when significant tax revenue from utilities was not collected. Krupczak confirmed that 504 utility assessments use a special formula provided by the Department of Revenue and that the town is capturing all available 504 personal property revenue.
Select Board Vice Chair Dan Salvucci made the motion to adopt the residential factor of one, stating, “We’ve always done that. We have very low business rates in town, and I don’t want to increase more burden to them and chase them out of town.” The board voted unanimously to approve the uniform rate and to reject all three exemptions (small commercial, residential, and open space).
The estimated levy for fiscal year 2026 will be within $1,000 of the maximum allowable levy, leaving excess levy capacity of just $988. The residential tax rate will increase from $13.12 to $13.29 per thousand dollars of valuation.
Environmental Assessment Reveals Cleanup Options for Regal Shoe Site
Representatives from Verdantas environmental consulting and Old Colony Planning Council (OCPC) presented findings from environmental assessments conducted at the former Regal Shoe factory site, a 19.84-acre parcel located on South Avenue adjacent to the MBTA commuter rail station.
The site was originally developed in the mid-1800s as a shoe factory and operated under several companies until the early 1960s. Buildings were demolished in 1973, and the site has remained largely vacant since. Extensive environmental assessment and limited cleanup activities have occurred since the 1990s, including removal actions by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency in 2005-2006.
Dan Curran and Tracey Costa of Verdantes, along with Nick Giaquinto of OCPC, explained that OCPC secured a $500,000 EPA grant to fund recent assessment work. Their investigation identified several areas of concern including petroleum hydrocarbon impacts near a former underground storage tank, metals and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in soil along the western boundary, and a historic landfill containing brick, wood, metal, and leather debris from the shoe factory.
Importantly, Costa emphasized that impacts to groundwater have not been identified, conditions do not indicate likelihood of vapor intrusion into future buildings, and the landfill material, while containing leather hides and debris, shows no evidence of soil or groundwater contamination. “The current cap appears to mitigate risk to any receptors,” Costa said, referring to both human and ecological exposure.
The assessment team evaluated five cleanup scenarios ranging from $225,000 to over $4.5 million. Alternative 1, the least expensive option at approximately $225,000, would involve no additional cleanup beyond implementing deed restrictions and groundwater monitoring. Alternative 3B, estimated at approximately $400,000, would include excavation and removal of impacted soil in a 3,000-square-foot area along the western boundary plus monitoring.
The most expensive option, Alternative 3A at over $4.5 million, would involve excavating the entire landfill area within wetlands, which the consultants deemed infeasible from a cost perspective. Approximately 2.5 acres of the site could be developed, according to wetland delineation surveys already completed during former Town Administrator Frank Lynam’s tenure.
Costa explained that Massachusetts offers liability protection through Chapter 21E for towns acquiring contaminated properties through tax taking. “Anything you do on the site is voluntary, unless you cause, contribute, or exacerbate a condition of contamination, or there’s a condition of what we refer to as imminent hazard,” she said.
The property is currently owned by an absentee owner with hundreds of thousands of dollars in back taxes. Town Administrator Carter confirmed the town has located the owner and obtained an access agreement for the environmental assessment work. Giaquinto noted that funding options exist including MassDevelopment grants of up to $750,000 over three years (typically $250,000 annually) and competitive EPA brownfields cleanup funding.
Select Board member Kain asked which cleanup option would make the site developable. Costa responded that all options would allow development, with Alternative 1 being the most feasible and cost-effective approach. This option would implement an activity and use limitation (AUL) deed restriction building in requirements for future property owners, including proper soil management, restrictions on children’s access to the landfill area, and maintenance of the existing cap.
Giaquinto emphasized the development potential given the site’s proximity to the commuter rail station and noted the MBTA has sufficient capacity for additional ridership. “This is a totally realistic project. And with all the talk tonight about new growth, this would be an attractive site for development, for sure,” he said. The site falls within Whitman’s MBTA community zoning district and proposed 40R district, making it potentially attractive for mixed-use development.
Select Board member Laura Howe asked about grant opportunities to upgrade infrastructure to support new development, including police, fire, DPW, water, sewer, roads, and sidewalks. Giaquinto explained that having a new development makes the town far more competitive for grant applications because state agencies look for evidence of prior investment as an indicator of future success.
Board Vice Chair Salvucci asked about using the site for solar energy generation, given that ground disturbance could be minimized. Costa noted that only about 2.5 developable acres exist once wetland buffer zones are considered, which would significantly limit solar panel installation. The consultants indicated the town and OCPC have previously discussed mixed-use development as the preferred approach.
Personnel Appointments and Police Department Matters
The select board approved several personnel appointments during the meeting. Joyce Annese was appointed as registrar for the period December 1, 2025 to April 1, 2027 to fill an existing vacancy on the Board of Registrars.
In a significant transition, the board voted to rescind the appointment of Michelle McNulty as town counsel effective December 31, 2025. Board members expressed regret at the change, with Select Board member Justin Evans noting, “Literally my entire life she’s been our town counsel.” The board then voted to appoint Peter Sumners as town counsel effective January 1, 2026, and to rescind Sumners’ appointment as assistant town counsel on the same date, essentially promoting him to the lead position.
The board approved the appointment of Scott Benton to the position of auxiliary special police officer for a one-year term through June 30, 2026. Police Chief Tim Hanlon explained that the appointee is the former Whitman police chief who retired, served as interim chief in another jurisdiction, worked as a prosecutor, and has now requested to return as a special officer.
Chairman’s Report Highlights Community Generosity and Lighthearted Moment
Before addressing the formal agenda, Board Chair Carl Kowalski provided a chairman’s report emphasizing Whitman’s history of supporting its children and schools. He recounted two significant moments: former Police Chief Travers walking down the center aisle of a town meeting in uniform to advocate for establishing the Whitman Counseling Center for children in emotional distress, and an outdoor town meeting at Whitman-Hanson High School where Whitman voted to use funds to help Hanson adjust to the statutory funding method despite finance committee recommendations against it.
“I have always felt that when it came, when the crunch came, Whitman supported his children,” Kowalski said.
The chairman then shifted to a lighter topic, noting that Whitman made the front page of the Quincy Patriot Ledger with a story about Charlie, a baby alligator rescued from the Charles River by Whitman Animal Control Officer Joe Kenney. “That’s our Joe. That’s our Joe Kenney. And in some ways, we can all feel proud that little Charlie is still alive,” Kowalski said. He had considered having Kenney bring the alligator to the meeting but learned Charlie has pneumonia and the stress could be fatal. “I said, well, let’s not bring Charlie in a box. That wouldn’t be a good thing,” the chairman quipped.
Meeting Schedule Set for December
The select board discussed and set the meeting schedule for December. After some discussion about board member availability and the need to set a special town meeting date by December 15 per the memorandum of understanding with the fire union, the board agreed to meet on December 1 and December 15, both Monday evenings rather than the typical Tuesday schedule. Select Board member Dan Salvucci noted he would be unavailable December 2.
Why It Matters
The decision to explore taking over borrowing for the middle school construction project could have significant financial implications for Whitman taxpayers. The school district’s inability to complete required audits has already cost the town an additional $191,793 in interest payments, and continued borrowing challenges could result in even higher costs. By leveraging the town’s credit rating (AA3), Whitman could potentially save taxpayers substantial amounts over the life of the school construction bonds. However, the proposal will require careful vetting, possible approval from the Massachusetts School Building Authority, and ultimately a vote at special town meeting. The environmental assessment of the Regal Shoe site presents an opportunity for transit-oriented development and new growth at a time when the town faces budget pressures, though remediation costs and the tax-taking process must be carefully managed. The ongoing school budget crisis and debates over resource allocation highlight the difficult fiscal choices facing Whitman as state and federal funding constraints continue to pressure local budgets.
Meeting Minutes
Key Motions & Votes
Motion: To approve bill and payroll warrants. Outcome: Approved. Vote: Unanimous.
Motion: To accept correspondence in the read file. Outcome: Approved. Vote: Unanimous.
Motion: To adopt a residential factor of one for fiscal year 2026. Outcome: Approved. Vote: Unanimous.
Motion: To vote no on small commercial exemption, residential exemption, and open space exemption. Outcome: Approved. Vote: Unanimous.
Motion: To appoint Joyce Annese as Registrar from December 1, 2025 to April 1, 2027. Outcome: Approved. Vote: Unanimous.
Motion: To rescind the appointment of Michelle McNulty as Town Counsel effective December 31, 2025. Outcome: Approved. Vote: Unanimous.
Motion: To appoint Peter Sumners as Town Counsel effective January 1, 2026. Outcome: Approved. Vote: Unanimous.
Motion: To rescind the appointment of Peter Sumners as Assistant Town Counsel effective January 1, 2026. Outcome: Approved. Vote: Unanimous.
Motion: To appoint Scott Benton as Auxiliary Special Police Officer through June 30, 2026. Outcome: Approved. Vote: Unanimous.
Motion: To authorize offering a civil service fire chief’s test. Outcome: Approved. Vote: Unanimous.
Motion: To set select board meeting schedule for December 1 and December 15, 2025. Outcome: Approved. Vote: Unanimous.
Motion: To enter Executive Session pursuant to MGL Chapter 30A, Section 21A, Exemption 7, to return only to adjourn. Outcome: Approved. Vote: Unanimous roll call.
Public Comment
Local business owner Richard Rosen delivered an extensive critique of the Whitman-Hanson Regional School District’s budget practices, arguing that while town departments submit modest budget requests, the school department consistently requests double-digit percentage increases. He criticized the district’s handling of the recent $1.4 million budget deficit discovery, calling for immediate dismissal of district leadership and a forensic audit of administrative spending. He stated he could cut $1 million from the school budget without laying off teachers. School committee member Rosemary Hill responded, arguing the district has been consistently underfunded and that the town should prioritize school budgets first rather than last in the budgeting process. She noted the governor had warned districts to expect 14% increases and suggested the town may have been “skating way too close to the edge” financially. Town resident Dawn Byers asked about utility company property tax assessments and whether the town was capturing all available revenue from 504 personal property valuations.
What’s Next
The town will convene a staff-level meeting with financial advisors, bond counsel, auditors, and school district officials to develop an intermunicipal agreement for the town to take over borrowing responsibility for the middle school construction project. Bond counsel will draft the agreement for consideration by both the school committee and select board, with a potential article for special town meeting in January. The Board of Assessors will submit the fiscal year 2026 tax classification decisions to the Department of Revenue. Town Administrator Carter and the finance team will continue developing the long-term financial planning tool and preparing materials for the special town meeting. Select board meetings are scheduled for December 1 and December 15. The fire department will schedule a civil service chief’s test to maintain an active eligibility list for command positions.
Disclosure: South Shore News founder Justin Evans is a current member of the Whitman Select Board.