Select Board Lifts Hiring Freeze After Override Vote

Select Board · Meeting of June 3, 2026

Hadley Select Board lifted its hiring freeze for already budgeted jobs a day after voters approved a Proposition 2½ override. Clerk David Fill II said the board is "not at a stage" of expanding hiring beyond what voters funded, and the vote passed unanimously. Actuary Parker Elmore of Odyssey Advisors told the board the town's retiree health care liability grew to $15.2 million, with the funded ratio falling to 19 percent, after active health premiums rose "53 percent versus the expected 12 percent." The board separately denied a water-rate abatement for the Young Men's Club over an $11,268 leak-related bill but authorized the town collector to waive interest, with Chair Amy Parsons saying water-leak costs are "the property owner's responsibility." Member Randall Izer asked why the board was reversing a Finance Committee hiring agreement made six months earlier.

The board also appointed Violet Suska as Council on Aging director and accepted Land Use Coordinator Kayla Lubriel's resignation.

In the full story:

• OPEB Valuation Report
• Public Comment: Override Reflection and a Call for Commercial Assessment Review
• Consent Agenda and Routine Approvals
• New Business: Sewer and Water Rate Dispute at 138 East Street
• New Business: Override Debrief and the Hiring Freeze
• New Business: Personnel Appointments and Resignations
• Town Administrator's Report
• Liaison Assignments and Future Agenda Items
• Announcements
• Who Was There
• Organizations And Documents Referenced
• The complete report: 2,613 words

Source: the Select Board meeting of June 3, 2026, reported from the official video recording and transcript.

Checked against the record: before publication this article was automatically compared with the meeting transcript.