Annual Town Meeting is approaching on Saturday, May 2. Under this year’s new weekend format, the meeting will start at 9 a.m. at Hopkinton Middle School. Members will vote on several key articles that will impact Hopkinton’s economic future, including the fiscal year 2027 comprehensive budget.

The warrant includes 39 articles pertaining to budget requests to cover town and school expenses. It also puts forth several proposed policy changes, including a revised MBTA Communities zoning plan and the proposed fingerprinting of applicants for common victualer licenses. A speed limit of 10 mph for e-bikes and other motorized vehicles and the creation of new enterprise funds also will be up for debate.

Town submits balanced budget

For the second straight year, the town stressed that departments needed to propose level-service budget requests. As a result, Article 6 requests the approval of the proposed FY 27 operating budget of $143,999,990.

The budget increased by 2.3% over the previous fiscal year, within the constraints of the traditional annual tax levy increase of 2.5% over the previous year’s total, plus new growth. Voters are not facing any property tax override requests, as this is a balanced budget.

Tax impact is a very important concern. The town has recognized the challenges of older residents, young families and others struggling to stay in Hopkinton. The tax impact from this budget is projected to be about 6.83% on existing taxpayers.

On April 9, the School Committee approved a revised FY 27 operating budget of $71,207,200. This was a reduction of approximately $629,000 from a previous draft. The change occurred because of a request by the town, citing projected increases in health insurance rates.

With the exception of two municipal water supply projects, no new borrowing is proposed in FY 27 to support capital projects; they will be funded with certified free cash. The certified free cash amount is $16,178,850. Free cash is used for capital and other expenses.

The two water projects that would be funded through borrowing are the $9.8 million in construction costs for the replacement of the East Main Street water main and $2.1 million for the Grove Street water tank project requested in Article 15.

MBTA Communities zoning returns

For the third time, members will be voting on proposed zoning that would comply with the state’s MBTA Communities zoning guidelines. Municipalities that do not comply risk losing funding from the state and opening up the community to fair housing lawsuits.

Article 21 asks the town to vote on a new proposal to meet the state’s requirements. This plan would connect the downtown and Walcott Valley areas together with a strip of parcels on Walcott Street.

At the May 2024 ATM, members rejected adoption of the MBTA Communities Act zoning bylaw by eight votes, with 118 in favor and 126 opposed. Hopkinton joined several communities that defied the state at that time.

On Nov. 18, 2024, the town held a Special Town Meeting, mainly to vote on an article that would bring Hopkinton into compliance with the state mandate. After a contentious debate, it passed in a 236-167 vote. The inclusion of The Preserve, Walcott Valley and the downtown area in this overlay district brought its size to 54.6 acres with a unit capacity of 782, exceeding the state’s mandate in those areas.

But the state later determined that this plan was only partially compliant. It failed to meet the 50% contiguous area district requirement. To rectify this, the strip of parcels on Walcott Street was added.

Fingerprinting for CV licenses unique

Article 29 on civil fingerprinting for common victualer (CV) license applicants is expected to generate heated debate. At recent Select Board meetings, members discussed the issues of encouraging business recruitment and supporting Hopkinton’s economic development. On the other hand, members alluded to possible government overreach and potentially impinging on applicants’ civil liberties.

Hopkinton would be the only Massachusetts community to require it, if approved.

The issue arose after the conviction of Petros “Peter” Sismanis, who owned and ran the former Hillers Pizza restaurant. Sismanis was convicted in 2025 of indecent assault and battery on a person over 14 years of age and witness intimidation charges after grabbing and kissing a 16-year-old employee in the basement of his pizza shop in 2023. After serving six months in jail, the native of Greece was remanded into Immigration and Customs Enforcement custody and faces possible deportation.

Demand the Truth Hopkinton, a coalition of people concerned over the town’s history of issuing CV licenses to Hillers Pizza, has criticized the town repeatedly for continuing to issue CV licenses to Sismanis despite multiple allegations of misconduct and without disclosing his status as a sex offender — stemming from a 1998 case in which he pled guilty. 

If civil fingerprinting is approved, it would allow the Hopkinton Police Department to take a full set of fingerprints from CV applicants. HPD would use them in a state and national fingerprint-based criminal history records check process. The town currently requires fingerprints from the town’s one ice cream truck vendor.

E-bike speed limit on paths proposed

Article 28 asks members to adopt a new bylaw creating a 10-mph speed limit on shared-use paths for e-bikes and other electric mobility vehicles. Proponents, including the Trails Committee and the Sustainable Green Committee, argued that the speed limit is a guideline to encourage safety on trails.

Opponents said there is no way to enforce this proposed bylaw. At an April Select Board meeting, HPD Chief Joe Bennett said that, if approved, policies would have to be crafted around enforcement and penalties.

Municipal aggregation fund an option

The town is proposing the creation of a municipal aggregation revolving fund and a revolving fund for municipal chargers for electric vehicles.

Select Board and Sustainable Green Committee members expressed their general approval at the April 7 Select Board meeting. There was some negative feedback that the future creation of revolving funds may be seen as the town potentially going too far in influencing the departmental budget process.

Water, sewer improvements requested

Articles 15 and 16 request that members approve appropriation for several water and sewer capital projects, respectively. Proposed by the Department of Public Works, the main water projects include the rehabilitation of Well 1, the construction of the Grove Street water tank and the East Street water main construction project.

Water has been a critical issue in town, as Hopkinton has been in a state of critical drought since March. Mandatory water supply conservation restrictions were instituted as a result.

On the sewer side, the major projects in Article 16 include upgrading the Westborough connection and the Fruit Street wastewater treatment facility.