The Select Board on Tuesday voted 4-1 to approve a budget message for the upcoming fiscal year that warns of a projected $5.7 million deficit unless tough measures are taken.

Town Manager Elaine Lazarus opened the discussion by explaining that estimated town revenues for FY 28 will be down 1.3%. As a result, she is urging town departments to submit level-funded budgets for the Select Board’s review. The town budget will come before Annual Town Meeting in May.

“We just want to make sure that people understand that our work is collaborative, and we will all work on this together,” stressed Lazarus.

Barring special one-time requests, the amount of money requested by each department should be the same as for this fiscal year. If the financial outlook does not improve as more data is received, the town will not be able to provide the same services it currently enjoys.

Lazarus stressed that the budget process is just beginning. Information regarding free cash and other certifications won’t be available until later this fall. State funding amounts usually are released in February.

Town faces tough choices

To balance the budget, hard decisions will need to be made. Departments may not receive the total amount of money they request, Lazarus said.

Less optimal options to balance the budget could include a property tax override or staff cuts as a last resort.

Lazarus noted the money that is being saved by the Charleswood School’s construction coming in under budget has been factored into the financial analysis.

Appropriation Committee chair Bill Flannery questioned Lazarus about looking for greater efficiency in town departments. She responded that, given the $5.7 million projected deficit, the town will take “a really deep dive into operations.”

School Committee chair Kyla McSweeney explained that contractual obligations make it impossible to submit a level-funded School Department budget.

“There would be a massive layoff of teachers, increased class sizes and a reduction of services in the Hopkinton Public Schools with a balanced budget or a level-funding budget,” she stressed.

“I want to make sure that we’re not calling a reduction in services level funding,” added School Committee vice chair Jamie Wronka, “and leave residents with the impression that nothing is changing.”

Member Joe Clark noted that “the town has been built on the schools.” Losing services would be a “worst-case scenario.”

But Hopkinton started out last year’s process with a projected deficit and was able to tighten its belt to produce a balanced budget, he said.

“I think it’s one of those years where every single cent in the expenses is going to make a difference,” Clark added.

Vice chair Matthew Kizner, who voted against approving the budget message, used a blunt metaphor to describe the fiscal situation.

“We’re having an insulin conversation here, folks,” he said, “because things have been far too sweet in this town for far too long.”

He stressed that there will be staff losses if commercial revenues don’t jump. Service reductions could happen unless an override is potentially looked at because the debt from school construction projects will hit taxpayers hardest over the next few years.

Said Kizner: “We are backing ourselves into a corner because we are afraid of the reality of the situation.”

STM warrant approved

The board approved the warrant for the upcoming Special Town Meeting on Oct. 26 in a unanimous vote.

Assistant Town Manager Lance DelPriore explained that there are 26 articles, 19 of them citizens’ petitions. The articles submitted by the town are primarily related to town finances. He stressed that the warrant needed to be signed at this meeting in order to meet the distribution deadline.

Kizner brought up that there had been discussions that many of the citizens’ petitions may be “not legal or enforceable.” He expressed reluctance to approve the warrant if this were confirmed.

He referred to them as “the Parkers” in reference to Parker Happ, the Planning Board member who proposed all 19 of them.

Chair Shahidul Mannan asked DelPriore to explain which articles were deemed by town counsel to be “illegal.” DelPriore said that the ones that are not legal would be considered nonbinding resolutions.

Clark added that the warrant must be signed to move forward. Individual members could share their opinions on articles rather than on the warrant as a whole.

DelPriore pointed out a “unique circumstance.” The town charter references “assigning duties through Town Meeting to certain positions, such as the Planning Board and the town manager.” This clause allows for some citizens’ petitions that “would be nonbinding in any other community” to come before the STM for a vote.

The board voted unanimously to recommend approval of Articles 2-5 and 7.

It voted not to recommend Article 19 on a townwide sidewalk master plan because at this meeting because no dollar amount was specified. Also, there was no feedback from Department of Public Works Director Kerry Reed.

While members approved of sidewalk repair in general, they sought greater clarity. Mannan noted that sidewalk maintenance may be included in the town master plan. Lazarus said the 2017 master plan already includes this. The upcoming master plan could update it.

The board unanimously voted to recommend no action on Article 20. It referred to a drainage repair project for Hawthorne Lane discussed at the May ATM, but it called the street Hoffman Road. DelPriore said Happ previously made a motion to take no action in the hope that the Select Board would propose an article with the correct street name. Lazarus noted that the town has prioritized funding for this work in FY 28, so it is basically a moot point.