Hopkinton residents call for selectman to resign

Goffstown Editor — Wed, 18 Feb 2009 20:31:00 GMT

BY MATT SCHOOLEY

Seventy-nine Hopkinton residents have signed a petition asking for the resignation of Board of Selectmen Chairman Scott Flood.

It is the third petition that has been filed with the town with the request, and Flood said he believes the disagreement centers on his desire to lower the budget.

“I think I’ve always been respectful. You have to do what the board feels is in the best interest in the town,” said Flood. “It is a result of two special interest groups in town objecting to the fact that I’m trying to cut costs.”

Some residents have expressed disagreement with Flood in the past regarding his stance on the Slusser Senior Center.

Flood has previously said that selectmen should consider the idea of making the facility a community building.

The petition says Flood has not listened to the voice of the town.

“He has not followed the will of the people, but used his position for his own agenda,” the petition reads. “In these trying times, the Town needs a leader to put forth every effort to unite the voters and the employees in a common purpose, not to divide. We realize there is not a legal course of action to achieve this, but we hope you will take the best interest of the Town to heart and comply.”

When asked if he felt the frustration of some residents is a result of frustration with the current state of the economy, Flood said he thought it was more than that. “It’s not just frustration, it’s survival,” said Flood. “I know a family where both parents have lost their jobs, and they have no income. I know a lot of people whose houses have been foreclosed on. We’re past frustrated. This is serious survival mode for people.”

Flood also said financial times will get more difficult in the upcoming years for Hopkinton residents with revenues down and the proposed school budget coming in with an approximately $850,000 increase compared to last year.

“There’s no question that I feel this next year will be even worse economically than this year,” said Flood. “If you assume revenue being equal, it’ll be about a $1.10 increase (per $1,000). Couple that with expecting the revenue going down and the reassessment will be done in December, we could end up with an increase of almost $2 (on the tax bill) in the fall.”

Budget increase less than 1 percent

Bow Editor — Wed, 02 Jan 2008 21:30:00 GMT

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.”

Hopkinton News : Board of Selectmen

Hopkinton residents call for selectman to resign

Budget increase less than 1 percent