Hopkinton State of the Town: May 2009

For the upcoming fiscal year 2010, the Hopkinton town management team, volunteer, elected, and professional, has done a phenomenal job of maintaining the high level of services we've come to expect without increasing property taxes. This short video clip below features Brian Herr (Chair--Board of Selectman) and Nancy Burdick (Chair--Hopkinton School Committee) discussing the intensive and successful collaboration amongst volunteer boards and professionals in town. This process has resulted in a budget which leaves:

• our schools fully supported,
  
• police and fire fully supported,
  
• and no lay-offs on the horizon.
  

They managed this by capitalizing on opportunities to reduce cost model by combining facilities departments and by combining information technology departments in town.

Nancy Burdick explains that the school committee, a body of 5 elected officials, is responsible for developing policy and budget for the Hopkinton Public School District. Their goals for FY '10 budget were 3-fold:

• keep class size reasonable
• retain extracurricular services at current level
• not increase fees for current level of services

"Strong schools, no tax increase, things are looking up for Hopkinton even in very difficult financial times." Herr concludes.