BY MATT SCHOOLEY
Hopkinton’s Board of Selectmen set the proposed town budget, with an increase of less than 1 percent from last year’s budget.
Hopkinton’s Board of Selectmen set the proposed town budget, with an increase of less than 1 percent from last year’s budget.
The proposed budget now goes to the Budget Committee for review.
At a special Wednesday, Dec. 19, meeting, selectmen approved the proposed budget of about $5.7 million – a .71 percent increase.
“Factoring in inflation at about 2 to 3 percent, and to still come in at an increase of less than 1 percent, that is pretty good,” said interim Town Administrator Bob Veloski. “The department heads worked very hard to attain that number.”
Veloski said the budget had an increase of about 2 percent, but warrant articles and other factors reduced the increase to its current proposed rate. Selectman Don Lane said the board was set on keeping any increase to a minimum throughout the process.
“We are very happy that we could keep it in line,” said Lane. “That was our goal, and we achieved it. We wanted to get as close to a zero increase as possible.”
Lane said the process includes factoring in personnel issues, though the town’s employees did not suffer any cuts to keep the budget from spiking.
“That (personnel issues) can cause an increase. We were able to give appropriate raises and maintain our position in terms of benefits,” said Lane. “At the same time, we were able to address certain things like increased responsibilities in the Recreation Department and Public Works.”
One concern Lane said the board has is increasing the tax base, and improve the commercial appeal of Hopkinton.
“Hopkinton is solely dependent on the single-family home, with very little commercial development,” said Lane, who added that board member Scott Flood has been working with the Economic Development Committee on the issue. “We have to begin thinking of commercial development. They’ll come through with something.
It’s not easy.”
Overall, Lane is pleased with the financial direction of the town.
“There are lots of things you’d like to do, but you can’t. You have to keep taxes in a place where they’re stable,” he said. “We’re doing pretty well.”