Hopkinton Select Board Grapples with Budgets, Tax Woes, and License Tensions

The Hopkinton Select Board’s February 3, 2026 meeting ran long and often tense as members worked through union contract announcements, a slate of FY27 budget reviews, license renewals, and sharp disagreements over town payroll problems and public safety compliance.​

Public Forum: Pine Island Road and W‑2 Tax Problems​

Pine Island Road maintenance dispute
Resident Steven Snow followed up on prior comments about the town’s responsibilities for Pine Island Road, a private way. Snow presented signatures from neighbors asserting that the town has maintained and plowed the road for at least 50 years, including paying his uncle to plow and paving the hill without resident input. He submitted a June 2024 DPW letter stating the town would continue plowing but no longer perform repairs, and cited state laws affecting the neighborhood’s “unique” situation of having to travel through Milford to reach their homes.​

Ongoing W‑2 / IRS refund delays for town employees
High school teacher and Hopkinton Teachers Association vice president Mason Challenor, of 26 Connelly Hill, delivered a joint statement for the teachers, firefighters and police unions, saying “close to 100” employees are still waiting on tax refunds for returns filed a year ago after multiple years of W‑2 problems.​ Key points from the statement:​

• For two years in a row, employees in schools, police and fire have received IRS letters asking for additional employer information or notifying them of delays due to extra review.​
• In 2025, School HR Director Sheena Martin identified an error in how W‑2s had been issued “likely for several years,” prompting corrected W‑2s in June 2025.​
• Despite that correction, many employees still have delayed refunds and some now face audits, according to feedback from Senator Ed Markey’s office, which unions contacted after feeling ignored locally.​
• The statement accused the town of denying responsibility, describing official responses as “disrespectful, apathetic” and “gaslighting.”​
• Union representatives asked for assurance that 2025 W‑2s will be accurate and for proactive communication from town leadership.​

Select Board member Matt Kizner tried to restate a prior question: whether there was any known risk to upcoming FY26 W‑2s. Member Brian Herr moved to defer discussion, citing a future agenda item, and an argument broke out when Kizner attempted to clarify his understanding for the record. As Herr and Kizner argued, Chair Joe Clark cut off the exchange, declaring the matter would be handled later in the agenda and moving the board on without further W‑2 discussion.​

Consent agenda, Contracts, and Appointments​

The board unanimously approved several routine items, including acceptance of Jack Buckley’s resignation from the Trails Committee, confirmation of Town Manager Elaine Lazarus’s appointment of David Larder as a DPW heavy equipment operator, and acceptance of multiple donations to the Fire Department in memory of Artie Pine, with Clark publicly thanking donors.​

Public Safety Union Contracts

The board formally announced previously approved three‑year contracts (July 1, 2025–June 30, 2028) for the Hopkinton Public Safety Dispatchers Association (Mass COP Local 254A, AFL‑CIO) and the Hopkinton Permanent Firefighters Association Local 3772, which had been voted in executive session January 20.​

Highlights of the Firefighters Contract

• Up to 48 hours of compensatory time in lieu of overtime pay.​
• A three‑hour minimum for paid details.​
• Increased education incentives in years one and three.​
• Added paid parental leave to match non‑union employees.​
• A new Captain position and promotion language.​
• Mandatory live fire training.​
• General wage increases of 2% (July 1, 2025), 3% (July 1, 2026) and 3% (July 1, 2027).​

Highlights of the Dispatchers Contract

• posting administrative coverage shifts
• clarifying protections for time off during shift changes
• consolidating all employees under one vacation schedule
• increasing evening and night differentials
• Adding a new top step, and wage hikes of 2%, 3% and 3% on the same schedule as Fire.

 Lazarus said the FY26 raises were already built into the current budget, and future years will be appropriated accordingly.​

The board also unanimously appointed Hopkinton High School student Shashwat Jaipuriar as a non‑voting Youth Commission representative through June 30, 2026.​

Key FY27 Budget Discussions​

Information Technology (IT)

IT Director Josh Grossetti presented a level‑service FY27 budget that represents a net decrease from FY26 after adjustments. He said rising vendor and licensing costs were offset by renegotiated discounts and careful spending, and that an initially requested additional staff position was removed during town‑wide budget balancing. No existing staff are being cut, and he said he is “comfortable” with the budget.​

IT’s FY27 Capital Requests Include:​

• 13,200 dollars “pay as you go” to replace unsupported police station cameras.​
• 75,000 dollars to replace and upgrade the town firewall.​
• 33,557 dollars for continued rolling replacement of laptops and desktops.​

Kizner sharply criticized what he views as over‑reliance on free cash and “pay as you go” capital for what he called inherently operational items, warning that using capital to cover underfunded operating budgets is not sustainable as free cash declines. Vice Chair Shahidul Mannan pressed on cybersecurity and staffing; Grossetti said current staffing and systems are adequate but demand for support and training has grown.​

Land Use & Conservation

Land Use Director John Gelcich presented a proposed FY27 budget of 731,456 dollars, a 2.36% increase largely driven by salaries, plus two small “pay as you go” capital items: a turbidity meter for stormwater and a stadia rod for field measurements. Kizner again questioned whether such equipment belongs in capital rather than operating. Lazarus said staff categorized them as one‑time purchases appropriate for “pay as you go,” while larger, recurring infrastructure belongs in capital.​

Board of Health

Health Director Shaun McAuliffe outlined a FY27 budget trimmed to a 2.52% increase after confirming regional shared‑services grants will continue covering about 12,000 dollars in training, certification and licensing fees through 2028. The department has brought in nearly 60,000 dollars in outside funding this year through senior services, equity vaccination grants and repurposed COVID funds, but McAuliffe warned that federal public health funding after 2028 is uncertain. He said he is “comfortable” with the budget for now but will return if grant losses threaten core services.​

Human Resources (HR)

HR Director Jessica Lewerenz said her budget decreases by just over 11%, mainly because the compensation contingency fund drops from 500,000 dollars to 400,000 dollars now that union contracts are settled. The contingency covers merit raises for non‑union staff, mid‑year salary adjustments when new hires come in above prior incumbents, and temporary overlaps when employees go on leave. Lazarus said the town typically models 3–4% merit increases, with most staff around 3.5%, and will monitor attrition and competitiveness versus neighboring towns.​

Youth & Family Services (Y&FS)

Youth and Family Services Director Dawn Alcott‑Miller delivered one of the night’s most poignant presentations, describing a department that expanded quickly on time‑limited federal grants and now faces a steep transition to the tax base. Over four years, grants such as Drug Free Communities, Mental Health Awareness Training, and MassCALL 3B funded roughly half the staff, including key resource counselor and data specialist Holly Morand. Service “enrollments” reached about 17,000, a number Alcott‑Miller said she initially thought was wrong until the case management system confirmed it.​

Her original FY27 request represented a 43.34% total increase driven by personnel. Town administration recommended dropping a long‑vacant program coordinator position, reducing the increase to 22.67%, and Alcott‑Miller cut operating expenses by 6.36% “down to everything we possibly could.”​

She described heavy pressure on her small team: cross‑training to cover vacancies, scaling back some programs and drop‑in hours to preserve clinical services for higher‑acuity cases, including middle school students flagged as actively suicidal in screenings, and growing fears of burnout and losing highly qualified clinicians. Grants complicate planning, with the DFC and MHAT grants set to sunset September 29, 2026; she is now writing for DFC years 6–10 in a competitive environment. She requested town funding for three‑quarters of the DFC coordinator in FY27 because the federal and town fiscal years do not align.​

When asked if she is “comfortable” with the budget, Alcott‑Miller answered no, but said she trusts decision‑makers and is mindful of the tax burden, emphasizing that it is “about the services” residents receive, and noting three team members are Hopkinton residents. Several board members called Y&FS a “need to have” rather than a “nice to have” and said if additional revenues materialize, restoring youth and family positions should be a top priority.​

Parks & Recreation

Parks and Recreation Director John Lewis presented a budget built on a level‑service base, with a 7.5% increase (about 22,000 dollars) driven by park maintenance, training, and modest enhancements. Personnel services cover all of the director’s salary, half of two full‑time staff (with the other half funded by the revolving fund), and all Sandy Beach seasonal staff through the general fund. Operating expenses cover concerts on the Common, movie nights, training, and maintenance of parks, the Town Common fountain, EMC playground, Sandy Beach and playground fencing and surfacing.​

A 10,000‑dollar request for a national parks conference was trimmed to 7,000 dollars so two staff, instead of three, could attend. A 30,000‑dollar capital line would replace and extend the Sandy Beach perimeter fence for safety and aesthetics.​

The most emotionally charged discussion centered on holiday lights on the Town Common. Lewis said the 15,000–20,000‑dollar line for the expanded seasonal light display was removed from the FY27 operating budget, though private fundraising led by resident Juanita Hansen paid for this year’s display.​

Board Reactions Showed Clear Philosophical Divides:​

Amy Ritterbusch called the Christmas lights a “nice to have,” not a “need to have,” and suggested residents could again fundraise, as they did for decades with Scout and Garden Club displays.​

Kizner and Herr countered that the lights have become an expected service and should be funded by the town rather than “hoping wealthy members of our community” will cover recurring costs, with Kizner arguing that parks and recreation services are under‑funded overall.​

Mannan supported restoring the lights if possible, calling them a “very vibrant time of the year” and urging staff to pencil them into the budget for future prioritization.​

Lazarus cautioned that state aid came in below expectations (less than 4% growth), forcing deeper cuts after the first budget round. Staff are compiling a “wish list” of cut items—including Y&FS positions and the holiday lights—to reconsider if revenues improve.​

License Renewals: HCA “dust‑up” and Safety Compliance​

The board spent substantial time on annual license renewals, complicated this year by new 90‑minute emergency lighting test requirements under the state building code’s 10th edition. Most licensees, including Cornell’s Irish Pub, Rapscallion Kitchen and Bar, Start Line Brewing and several coffee and pizza shops, were renewed and released after completing inspections and paperwork.​

Hopkinton Center for the Arts (HCA)

The most contentious license debate involved renewing the HCA’s Section 12 all‑alcohol and entertainment licenses. Fire Chief Gary Daugherty and Director of Municipal Inspections Chris McWhite said HCA’s sprinkler inspection was satisfactory, but emergency exit lighting still needed bulb and battery replacements following the newly required 90‑minute test. Town Counsel Jay Talerman advised the board it could legally renew and release the licenses with a condition that no events or activities requiring them occur until all building and fire issues are resolved.​

Kizner pushed back, arguing it was inconsistent to deem the building safe enough for staff and classes while barring licensed events over remaining life‑safety issues, and questioned whether this might set a precedent for “less desirable” businesses seeking similar flexibility.

Daugherty and McWhite replied that the most critical life‑safety systems—the sprinkler and fire alarm—were working and that generator‑backed emergency lights posed limited risk with repairs scheduled within days. Talerman emphasized that annual renewals provide an enforcement opportunity that does not always exist for every occupancy.​

After extended debate, the board voted 4–1 to renew and release HCA’s licenses with the condition that no events requiring them occur until remaining inspection items are resolved; Kizner was the lone “no.”​

Corporate Delays and Extensions

Three non‑alcohol common Victualler licenses—two Aramark locations at Dell (176 and 228 South Street) and Starbucks at 85 West Main—remained outstanding due to incomplete emergency lighting test documentation. Aramark managers said all issues except formal 90‑minute test documentation had been addressed and that Dell is pursuing replacement of exit signs with self‑testing units backed by a generator.

Daugherty and Lazarus said Starbucks had been “less responsive” despite repeated outreach, but confirmed required testing was scheduled. The board unanimously extended those three licenses to February 25, 2026 to allow completion and documentation of all inspections.​

Saturday Town Meeting Logistics and Board Tensions​

Looking ahead to the first‑ever Saturday Annual Town Meeting on May 2, 2026, the board discussed how to maximize participation and avoid conflicts with youth sports, Scouts and family events. Ideas included early outreach to leagues and community groups to keep May 2 clear, an online form or poll to identify recurring events, and possible collaboration with the National Honor Society, Schools and Parks & Rec to provide childcare or youth programming during Town Meeting.

Member Ritterbusch urged setting a specific start time at the next meeting so residents can plan, with Moderator Hayes leaning toward an earlier morning start to reduce the risk of a second day.​

Throughout the Night, Several Sharp Exchanges Surfaced

During public forum when Kizner and Herr clashed over reopening the W‑2 issue; during the HCA debate when Kizner pressed officials on liability while Herr warned they were “making a massive mountain out of a molehill”; and near the end, when Kizner objected to being interrupted, citing a “lack of professionalism” and respect among board members. Clark declined to delve into the dispute on the spot and moved the meeting into executive session.​

The board entered executive session to discuss non‑union contract strategy with the police and fire chiefs, potential real estate negotiations for 280 Cedar Street, and executive session minutes, with no return to open session. Several issues—most notably a fuller public discussion of the W‑2/IRS problems, prioritization of “wish list” budget items like Y&FS staffing and holiday lights, and Town Meeting scheduling and childcare—are expected to return at future meetings.

---

Editor: At times, it felt more like the Bruins‑Lightning goalie fight in Tampa than a local board meeting.​