The Berkshire County community of Hancock, Massachusetts held its annual meeting Monday night. With a population around 750, Hancock sits on the border of New York. While voters approved the budget for fiscal year 2024, there was debate and ultimately a tight vote over the school budget. At $2 million of the total $2.7 million budget, it represents the lion’s share of Hancock’s spending. The meeting also saw town residents move to join the Berkshire Regional Transit Authority and end mail-in voting for local elections. Sherman Derby is the chair of Hancock’s select board and has served on the body for over 35 years. Derby spoke with WAMC.
DERBY: Well, there was only one article that really had some discussion on it. And that was the school budget, which is our biggest article for the town. You know, it's our biggest expansion expenditure.
WAMC: Now, that was over $2 million from a $2.7 million budget, and it was a relatively tight vote, 40 to 35. Tell me about this- What was the conversation like Monday night?
Okay, what happened was that it wasn't recommended by the school board or the – not the school board, the select board – or the finance committee. And I'll explain to you why. Last year, that school committee had $160,000 surplus that they turned back into the general fund. But they didn't reduce their budget by $160,000. When they proposed their budget this year, they left that $160,000 in it, and they asked for $42,000 more. So, we felt that it wasn’t necessary, the $42,000 more, because they hadn't taken that $160,000 out. And we recommended that it didn't pass.
Now, what was their argument? What was the other side that ultimately prevailed?
Their argument is that they never can tell how much transportation is going to cost or how much tuition, because we tuition most of our children out. But we don't have that many- You may have an influx of one child, one way or the other, and transportation, your buses running all these routes, and they're all bid routes. So, I mean, it's kind of a moot question. They just didn't want to give up the $160,000.
Do you feel like this sets up a precedent for future school budgets?
No, I don't know if it- Hancock is a funny community. We take everything on a daily basis. I don't believe it sets up a precedent because every year is different. You know, we have one child that goes to school, and we pay over $400,000 for that child to attend school, one child. And you never know when them type of children, you know, with handicaps or disabilities, might come. So, it's hard to tell.
Now this year's budget, the $2.7 million- How did that compare to last year's budget?
Well, it was $42,000 above it. That's with the $160,000 still in it.
So mostly that had to do with the school spending?
Yes, yes. The other expenditures were very mild. People, they hold their budget line, a lot of them were zero funded. We did no raises at all.
Now, there was also the decision at town meeting to opt out of mail-in voting. Talk to me about that. What was the story there?
Well, what it is, is, what they actually opted to do was to be the way they've been for, just for the community voting, not the national elections, because them elections, you have to go out and have your ballots out and mailed out. But because small communities like us, it cost a lot of money to do that. It consumes a lot of time. And it really doesn't add- We don't have a Democrat or Republican in this town, we don't run on parties.
Now Hancock voters also chose to join the Berkshire Regional Transit Authority. Tell me about that. Why did that happen?
Well, because we don't have any transportation in town for our seniors. The only transportation we have is what the senior group has one of their members that will occasionally take people to a doctor's appointment, or to get groceries or whatever is needed. And you know, our population is getting older in Hancock. So, by joining the BRTA, we get transportation, as well as we are eligible to have a van, to get a van to be here at Hancock so we could transport our own people.
Looking over Hancock in general, where do you feel like the town is at having conducted its annual town meeting in 2023? What's your sort of status report on the community?
Well, I think the community is very sound. We run a pretty tight ship here. We're probably the lowest tax rate in Massachusetts, as far as property goes, property tax. We're in a very good position.
Looking into the year ahead, what are the big projects for Hancock? What are you guys addressing with this year's budget?
Oh, most of it is road structures. We got some big culverts and stuff like that that has to be replaced. We've just spent all our [American Rescue Plan Act] money on the school, the selectmen did. We put in a complete bulletproof entrance going into the school and put in a handicap bathroom in the school. And if you come up the road, you'll see all kinds of flashing lights for traffic control because we're right on [Route] 43.
Is there anything about this year's town meeting or Hancock in general I've not thought to ask you that you would want the wider world to understand about Hancock?
Well, there's just one thing that's going on now in Hancock, and that is the select board is discussing the open meeting law with the school board, because they're not performing what they put on the agenda. It's changed basically when they get to a meeting, and you can't do that anymore. So, we're challenging them on that. We've already sent a notice to them, and in 14 days if the reply isn't requested, we're going to turn them over to the state.
