Override 101

Override 101: Why Berkley Needs an Override

The reason Berkley needs an override is actually very simple:

Berkley does not bring in enough money to pay for the services it provides.

Each year, the town pays its bills using a combination of:

• Property taxes

• State aid

• Local receipts (fees, permits, ambulance billing, transfer station fees, etc.)

• Free Cash (money left over from prior years)
  
  

When all of those sources are added together, they still do not cover Berkley’s annual operating budget. That gap is called a structural deficit, meaning it happens year after year, not just once.

Why can’t we just get the money somewhere else?

• We can’t tell the state to give us more money.
  We advocate for it, but state aid is largely outside of the town’s control.
  
  

• We don’t know how much Free Cash we’ll have.
  Free Cash depends on how the previous year went and cannot be relied on to fund ongoing expenses like staff, public safety, or schools.
  
  

• Local receipts are already maximized.
  Increasing fees would simply shift more costs directly onto residents anyway.
  
  

That leaves one remaining option for increasing reliable, long-term revenue:

Property taxes — through an override

An override allows Berkley to permanently raise more money by increasing the town’s overall tax levy. That money then becomes part of the base budget every year, helping the town keep up with rising costs like salaries, health insurance, fuel, utilities, and special education.

Why not just keep cutting the budget?

In theory, the town could choose not to pass an override and instead cut department budgets.

In reality, Berkley has already been doing that for years.

We are now at the point where:

• There is very little left to cut

• Further cuts mean loss of staff, reduced hours, or closure of services

• Departments are already operating at or below minimum levels
  
  

At this stage, cuts are no longer about “efficiency”,  they are about eliminating services entirely.

How does an override actually work?

If an override is approved:

1. Voters approve it at the ballot.

2. Town Meeting votes to appropriate the funds.

3. Berkley’s total tax levy increases.

4. That increase is spread across all taxable property in town, based on assessed value.
   
   

This means:

• The tax rate increases because the total amount raised increases

• Individual tax bills depend on a home’s assessed value relative to all other properties in Berkley

• The money raised stays in Berkley and funds local services