HanoverVotes shares updates and concerns about the proposed tax override and its impact on Hanover’s long-term financial health. These posts provide voters with clear information to help make thoughtful, sustainable decisions for our town’s future.

Spend money as if it were your own

Let’s talk about the override—and what it means to you.

What If Hanover Were a Household?

When you or I face financial pressure at home, we don’t just keep spending.

We hunker down. We cut back. We plan smartly.

We dropped cable, skipped the new car, used coupons, found cheaper gas, and stocked up on sale items. 

We prepare for the unexpected, avoid taking on new costs—and save where possible.

That’s how responsible households weather tough times. Shouldn’t our town?

The Override Isn’t a One-Time Cost - It’s Forever

The Town estimates the override will raise the average property tax bill by $609 for the Town Manager Budget or $387 for the Advisory Budget. But that figure leaves out two critical facts:

1. That $609 or $387 increase is permanent - every year, not just FY26.
2. It raises the baseline for all future property tax increases.

A Hidden Tax?

After Hanover voters defeated the override in May 2024, the Select Board approved the Town Manager’s proposal - and the Town voted in December 2024 to create an Enterprise Account for the Transfer Station.
(An Enterprise Fund is a separate accounting system that funds services through user fees, rather than property taxes.)

Here’s what changed:

• The Transfer Station is no longer covered by general tax revenue.
• Residents must now pay out-of-pocket through stickers and day passes.
• That freed-up funding is now being redirected to other departments - primarily the schools.

So even though the override failed, residents are still paying more - just through a different mechanism.

Add Transfer Station Fees on Top
If you didn’t previously pay for trash collection, you now face:

• A $310 Transfer Station sticker fee, or
• Private hauler expenses - which are typically more than the transfer sticker

Plus the Prop 2½ Annual Increase
On top of the override, property taxes also rise annually by up to 2.5% - roughly $303 for a median-valued home.

Real Impact for Many Households in FY26
Based on a home assessed at $770,000*, the total new recurring taxes and fees in FY26 could look like this:

These are not one-time charges - they will recur year after year.

Both the override and your regular property taxes will continue to increase annually under Proposition 2½ - typically up to 2.5% to 3% - making these costs permanent and growing.

The Transfer Station sticker could increase over time.

We Must Plan for What’s Coming - Not Just What’s Requested

We know the schools and the town face real pressure - and unexpected costs do arise.

But here’s the concern: What happens if state or federal funding drops?
Many pandemic-era grants have already ended. Future aid is uncertain.

And Massachusetts municipalities are already seeing the impact:

• $106 million in K–12 funding lost, putting mental health services, tutoring, and infrastructure at risk statewide
• $12.2 million in school meal programs cut, affecting access to healthy, locally sourced food
• Public safety grant funding is under threat, which could compromise emergency response capabilities

These aren’t hypotheticals; they’re real examples. If similar cuts hit Hanover, how will we respond?

If we approve this override and expand payrolls or restore services, we may soon find ourselves laying off those same hires or scrambling to fill holes if expected funding doesn’t arrive.

That’s not strategic planning, it’s hope-based budgeting.

HanoverVotes believes we should prepare now - not overspend in good faith, only to cut in crisis later.

Even the “Base” Budget Keeps Growing

Originally, the Town Manager’s FY26 base school budget rose $1.4 million to cover contractual obligations. But it grew to $1.9 million, now funding 6 additional school positions.

In a year when Hanover claims it can’t afford basic services, why is it adding new, ongoing expenses?

Free Cash Is Running Low

State finance experts recommend towns maintain free cash at 3%–5% of their general budget. Hanover’s FY26 free cash is below 3%
And of that, $1.16 million is already being used just to plug this year’s base operating budget.

Free Cash Isn’t Extra - It’s Emergency Protection

Some argue that Hanover still has free cash to rely on - but let’s be clear:

Free cash isn’t meant to balance a base operating budget. It’s meant to be there when things go wrong - when a boiler fails, a blizzard hits, or a state grant disappears overnight.

Draining it now to cover recurring expenses leaves us exposed.

That’s why the Massachusetts Division of Local Services recommends maintaining reserves - and why HanoverVotes believes we must protect what’s left.

Override = Short-Term Patch, Long-Term Risk

Even with this override, Hanover’s long-term forecast shows annual structural deficits of $1.7 million.
So what happens next year? Or the year after?

This isn’t a solution. It’s a stopgap. And it opens the door for more override requests down the line.

HanoverVotes believes in responsible, sustainable budgeting.
- That means honoring the will of voters in 2024.
- That means living within our means.
- That means we say no to the override.

Thank you for staying informed and engaged in Hanover’s future.

Informed voters make the best decisions,