Council hears budget gap grows $1M a year
Amherst Town Council heard a presentation warning the town's expenses are outpacing revenue by about $1 million a year.
Select Board · Meeting of October 5, 2026
Amherst Town Council heard a presentation warning the town's expenses are outpacing revenue by about $1 million a year. Finance Director Sean Mangano told councilors Amherst gets just $334,000 annually in state PILOT payments versus $2.8 million for Edgartown, despite having roughly 30 percent of its land tax-exempt, the third-highest share in Massachusetts. Director of Planning and Economic Development Jeff Bagg outlined zoning and development strategies tied to the Hampshire College, downtown and East Amherst rezoning efforts.
No vote was taken on the presentation; further discussion is planned for November 2. During public comment, resident Evan Naismith argued against waiting on uncertain PILOT negotiations, saying "when you choose to forego revenue, it's people like my daughter who suffer." The council separately approved its consent agenda, 11-0, covering a data center zoning referral and several town manager appointments.
In the full story:
- Who Was There
- Organizations And Documents Referenced
- The complete report — 3,074 words
Source: the Select Board meeting of October 5, 2026, reported from the official video recording and transcript.
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