It’s no secret that many longtime Hopkinton homeowners are struggling to remain in town, hampered by the increasing residential tax rate.

What also should not be a secret is that assistance is available thanks to donations from residents and businesses in town. The Hopkinton Senior and Disabled Tax Relief Committee, with members appointed by the Select Board, oversees this program, and it’s hoping to make more residents aware of it.

“Data suggests there are more people in need than the committee currently is serving,” shared committee member Sue Kurys.

However, one thing the committee is not legally allowed to do is solicit donations — other than posting basic information on its webpage at the town’s website (hopkintonma.gov) and including a form in residents’ real estate tax bills indicating how they can make a donation. One problem with the latter is that many mortgage companies handle tax payments, so “we suspect that residents don’t see it,” Kurys said.

Adding to the committee’s concerns, a couple of years ago the fund lost a “major business funder,” according to Kurys. (For businesses and other organizations, a portion of voluntarily payments in lieu of taxes can be directed to the program.)

“As a result, donations have decreased by 35% over the last couple of years,” Kurys said. “Last year, we made an effort to publicize the program, and qualified applications [for assistance] went up by 40%. We expect applications to increase even more with the tax rate increasing.”

Kurys said the committee usually receives about 20 applications. “So, we’re not talking about a lot of people,” she acknowledged. The committee has been trying to increase that number via publicity as well as outreach at places like the Hopkinton Senior Center, which can make individuals aware of other such programs as well.

Last year’s average recipient had a total household gross annual income of roughly $32,000, was 78 years old and had lived in town for more than 30 years.

The property tax for an average house in town is about $12,500 and is expected to rise to around $18,500 by 2030, fueled primarily by some capital requests including a new elementary school.

“If we’re faced with a 50% increase in our tax bill, we will be very challenged to provide any kind of meaningful aid to the seniors and people with disabilities who own their homes,” Kurys said. “Our goal is to help homeowners keep their homes and continue to live in Hopkinton. Most of our recipients have lived here for decades.”

The current maximum income qualification is $48,000 for a single homeowner and $60,000 for a household, but that could change at some point.

“One of the unique things about this program is the committee has discretion to set limits and what is considered for criteria,” Kurys said. “For the most part, towns use similar criteria, but the level of the criteria vary pretty widely.”

Applications are available in November and are due in February. Awards are made in April in the form of a tax credit. In addition to the committee’s webpage, individuals can get information by calling the Treasurer’s Office at 508-497-9715.

According to Kurys, Hopkinton was the first community in Massachusetts to form a Tax Relief Committee, which it did following a Town Meeting vote in 1999, shortly after the state enacted a law allowing for the formation of such organizations.

“So the fund has a long history here in town,” she said, adding that “there was no original funding except for donations. It’s completely funded by residents, businesses and other organizations.”

The committee got a boost when it was accepted to participate in the Boston Marathon charity bib program, which brings in a few thousand dollars each year.

Kurys noted that 100% of donations go to tax relief, and the funds are kept in a separate, dedicated account. “There are no expenses charged against that,” she said. “Nothing else is withdrawn from those funds.”

Additionally, as per state law, no funding can come from the town budget or property tax payments.

“The status of the program is always dependent on the number of donations we receive and the number of applicants we get,” Kurys said. “But we want to reach out and help more people in need. We’re here as a resource. We want to help people in a meaningful way.”

Trivedi to run Chicago Marathon

Hopkinton’s Darsh Trivedi, who we featured in our 2023 Boston Marathon special issue, is heading to Illinois to run the Chicago Marathon on Oct. 13. Trivedi, a Dell EMC employee and Legacy Farms resident, is running to raise funds for the American Cancer Society.

“Having lost my dad and grandpa to cancer, I’ve dedicated myself to supporting others who are facing this battle,” Trivedi wrote on his fundraising page. “My aim is to inspire hope and gather crucial funds to advance research and support those navigating their cancer journeys.”

Trivedi, who in 2016 planned to give up running after developing shin splints following a half-marathon, returned to running and completed the Boston Marathon in 2023, raising about $11,000 for the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute. In addition to running in memory of his late family members, he was inspired by his “Patient Partner,” an 11-year-old Foxborough boy who was fighting leukemia.

This past April, despite dealing with some lingering injuries, Trivedi ran the London Marathon — opting for a flatter course than Boston — and raised about $2,500 for the organization Children with Cancer UK.

Residents walk for Jimmy Fund

The annual Boston Marathon Jimmy Fund Walk is scheduled for Sunday, Oct. 6, and Hopkinton will be represented by 24 residents who are signed up to raise money for the Jimmy Fund.

The local walkers include Myra Tamba, Paul Decker, Dia Pungaliya, Jacqueline Zeigler, David Shapiro, Aimee Cole, Stephanie Shepardson, Kinjal Rajesh Vaman Mehta, Lexi Boulanger and Arun Pungaliya.

They’ll join 14 other Hopkintonians and thousands of other walkers in the iconic annual event that supports all forms of adult and pediatric care and research at the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute. The Jimmy Fund Walk (JimmyFundWalk.org) has raised more than $176 million for Dana-Farber in its 35-year history, raising a record-breaking $9.4 million in 2023.

The walk follows the Boston Marathon course. Walkers have the option of starting in Hopkinton and completing the full course or starting closer to Boston and covering shorter distances.

“For 35 years, the Jimmy Fund Walk has continuously supported lifesaving research and cancer care at Dana-Farber. Our goal is to build off of the momentum we’ve established throughout that history and, in 2024, aim to surpass our total from last year by raising $9.5 million,” said Caitlin Fink, assistant vice president of event fundraising. “Fighting cancer is what we do. The walk unites our community under a common goal — to defy cancer together.”