SOUTHAMPTON — Southampton Town Meeting members approved 31 of 33 articles on May 9, including the town’s operating budget for the fiscal year 2024, bringing an override vote to the town and honoring the legacy of two town residents who have passed away.

Members approved bringing a proposition 2½ override vote to the town. The override would provide an additional $332,000 in funding for public safety and employee benefits. Fire Chief John Workman clarified that these funds would be used to have a fully-staffed Fire Department and paramedic service available 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Currently, the department is facing a staffing shortage with mostly on-call staff who may have full-time jobs elsewhere. The override would also allow the Police Department to bring on a full-time officer.

Town Meeting rejected funding for the Hampshire Regional School District but approved every other part of Southampton’s $20.2 million budget. After questions about how much money the district has had in reserves over the last 10 years, the Town Meeting members voted down Southampton’s $5.6 million portion of the budget. Two of the district’s five participating towns have to vote down the Hampshire Regional budget for it to be completely denied. As of May 9, Southampton was the first and only school to reject it. Town officials did clarify that they do expect some of the surplus funds to be returned to Southampton.

Town Meeting approved the building and naming of Maddie’s Magical Playground, in honor of 8-year-old Maddie Schmidt who passed away from an aggressive brain tumor in December 2022. The accessible playground will be built at Labrie Field with $241,419 in funds from the Community Preservation Act.

“It’s very important to us that Maddie’s legacy lives on,” said Jenn Capshaw, Maddie’s aunt and a member of the Magic for Maddie committee.

Magic for Maddie will establish a fund for the lifetime maintenance of the playground.

Members also approved renaming the East Street Bridge for deceased resident John V. Garstka. He served as the highway superintendent for 36 years from 1948 until 1984. Garstka’s son-in-law, Michael Parenteau, spoke about Garstka’s life. Garstka was responsible for paving most of the town’s roads, which were dirt roads when he began. He was also a World War II veteran, who was taken as a prisoner of war at the Battle of the Bulge and held until the end of the war. He received both the Gold Star and Purple Heart for his actions.

Town Meeting approved moving mandated amounts from free cash to stabilization funds, as well as the budgets for Community Preservation, transfer station and Water Department. In addition, funds were approved for improvement projects such as a footbridge at Manhan Meadows, Town Hall’s elevator and outside sidewalk and entry, as well as painting and repairing of lockers at Norris Elementary School.

The town approved a municipal light plant in its second of two required votes. The goal of this plant will be to establish a fiber-optic internet service in Southampton as other local communities have done.

Town Meeting members rejected the establishment of an opioid settlement stabilization account. Vicki Leigh Moro, chair of the Finance Committee, encouraged members to vote the article down until the state legislation has been enacted.

Other approved articles at the meeting included moving funds within departments to cover unexpected energy and supply costs at the library, Police and Fire departments, as well as other town offices. General and zoning bylaw changes were also approved to make the documents more user-friendly with edits for clarity, consistency and comprehension.