Hopkinon voters were in a better mood to say yes to a series of decisions about town spending during drive-by voting Saturday.
By nearly a 4-to-1 margin, residents passed the proposed town operating budget of $7.52 million, which is an increase of 3.5% or $238,000 over last year. Despite the increase, the budget should not change the town tax rate.
The select board’s attempt to eliminate any tax hike may have been prompted by Hopkinton School District’s drive-through annual meeting in May, when voters rejected the budget as well as a new teachers contract. The school district has scheduled another annual meeting for August.
Voters also passed articles to put money in capital reserve funds and expendable trust funds and a series of modifications to increase tax exemptions for the elderly and disabled, and for solar panels on private homes.
However, they didn’t say yes to everything.
Residents shot down an effort to sell the former Bates Library at 846 Main St., with 569 voting “no” compared to 390 “yes.”
And voters squarely rejected a move to an SB2 form of town meeting voting, which includes a deliberative session to discuss, debate and make amendments to the proposed operating budget and warrant articles, followed by a second voting session to cast ballots to pass/fail proposed articles. The proposition before Hopkinton voters failed to gain a simple majority of the vote, however, it needed a three-fifths majority to pass.
During traditional town meetings, residents come together to debate, discuss and amend warrant articles and vote on them all in the same day. This year’s process was decidedly different since many town meetings were postponed due to the threat of the coronavirus.
Some towns held in-person meetings inside of schools with no more than 10 people per room, others had virtual meetings followed by drive-by voting.
Hopkinton’s warrant was introduced at its “virtual town meeting” last Monday. Afterward, residents were able to submit public comments and proposed amendments to the moderator. Then on Friday, a second virtual town meeting was held to finalize the ballot before drive-by voting Saturday.
Selectmen warned of future budget troubles due to a decline in property tax collections from businesses being shut down during the pandemic and homeowners being out of work.