On Friday, March 22, former Select Board member and candidate for United States Senate Brian Herr announced that he will be seeking a fifth term on Hopkinton’s Select Board.

Herr has been a Hopkinton resident for 24 years, and first came to office through an appointment to the Planning Board. He was elected to the Select Board in 2007 and served four terms, with a one-year break in between two of them. His last term ended in 2021.

In 2010, Herr ran for the U.S. House of Representatives but came in second in the Republican primary to Martin Lamb. In 2014, Herr was nominated by the State Republican party and challenged Ed Markey for the U.S. Senate seat. Following the Trump administration’s decision to separate children from their asylum-seeking parents, Herr announced that he was leaving the Republican party and changing his status to Independent.

Herr holds a bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering from the University of Pittsburgh and a master’s in government from Harvard Extension School. He works for Solect Energy and is based in Hopkinton, where he is the Senior Vice President and General Manager leading business development and operations teams for the company.

HopNews caught up with Herr for a question and answer session.

HN: Tell us a little about your family.

BH: Mary and I moved to Hopkinton with two small children in April of 2000.  We had three more kids in the years following.  Our family took advantage of the great schools and many activities for kids to grow and thrive in the modern world. Today the kids are out and about in the world doing well.  They range in age from 31 to 19.  We became empty nesters last fall when we sent our last one off to college. 

HN: ​What inspired you to seek a fifth term on the Select Board?  

BH: Like many residents I am very concerned with the direction of the Town.  Clearly the last few years have been difficult for residents, our employees, and many other stakeholders in the community.  I also believe our residents deserve choices at the polls.  I would suggest my years of experience and my demeanor can help the community move forward together again.  I have had the pleasure of meeting a couple of the other candidates running for the Board this spring, and they strike me as passionate, well-intended citizens looking to make a positive difference for the Town. By providing choices to the voters, I think we will all be better served after the polls close and a new Board is seated.  

HN: What are the most pressing issues facing Hopkinton today?  

BH: We need to calm the waters and refocus our energy on moving forward together. Hopkinton is a great place to live and to raise a family, and we need to focus on the issues that impact us at the local level first and foremost. The drama in Washington DC does nothing to move our town forward and I supported Article 2, which eliminated partisan elections in our town.  Let’s reset our priorities and advance our community as we have for more than 25 years together.  

We also have several unresolved personnel issues we need to address.  We need professional managers on the Board that are familiar with Massachusetts employment laws to guide our key personnel decisions.  We need to be very careful in managing our finances, as the new investments in recent years will add significant pressure to residential tax bills, our bond ratings, and the cost of capital going forward.  

As always, supporting our schools will be a key focus for the Select Board while we balance the needs of education with public safety (I think of the DPW as part of our public safety team), the Senior Center, the library, town hall, Parks and Recreation, etc. In all cases our professional teams do an excellent job on behalf of the Town and deserve our respect and full support.  

Lastly, we need a focused and unrelenting management approach to finish the Downtown Corridor project.  Once the brick highlights, street trees, new surface and striping are completed it will be awesome.  Lets follow the overwhelming will of Town Meeting a few years back and get this thing done.  I live downtown and I’ve had enough too!

HN: What are a few key takeaways from your previous terms on the board? What will you do differently this time?  

BH: I don’t think I would change my approach if the voters support me returning to the Board.  Over the years I served with hundreds of volunteers and dedicated employees across town government that got things done.  We stabilized our finances, increasing our bond rating to AAA+, which is the gold standard in municipal finance.  We passed 3 budget underrides which permanently decreased the tax levy for the taxpayers of Hopkinton. And while being frugal, we were able to advance several projects, including the Fruit Street field complex, the Hopkinton Center for the Arts complex, the new Marathon School, the turf fields on the school campus, the new library, the Center Trail, and numerous other enhancements for the community. I am very proud of the work so many residents made happen over the years.  Let’s refocus our collective energy on Hopkinton and continue down the path of success we have been accustomed to achieving together.  The accolades are many; we have the top schools not only in Massachusetts but in the country!  One of the safest communities in the country! Our natural resources are second to none, and a world-renowned road race, just to name a few!  

HN: What else should voters should know about you? 

BH: A campaign for the Select Board was not on my radar for this Spring.  I have been humbled by the many neighbors in Town reaching out to encourage me to step forward.  I am happy to do so and look forward to discussing the ways we can work together in town in the coming months and years. I deeply appreciate the opportunity to earn your vote and serve our community once again.

Mr. Herr can be reached at BrianJosephHerr@gmail.com