Voting booths at a polling place in Newtown, Pa., on April 23, 2024. Matt Rourke/AP Photo
Voters in a small western Massachusetts town have overwhelmingly denied a major property tax hike that local officials said was needed to close a budget gap and avoid cuts to public services.
South Hadley, home to about 18,000 people, on April 14 rejected two ballot measures described as tax overrides. In Massachusetts, state law generally caps annual increases in property tax revenue at 2.5 percent, unless voters approve a steeper increase through a referendum.
