Six Ballot Questions at the 2017 Town Election

Vote “Yes” or “No” on the following questions appearing on the May 15, 2017 ballot:

QUESTION 1: Shall the Town of Hopkinton approve the charter amendment proposed by the Town Meeting, summarized below? The proposed changes to the Hopkinton Home Rule Charter include technical updates throughout to reflect current Town practice. Major changes include:

• Reorganization of the text to express the structure of the Town government;
• Revision of employee reporting structures to standardize employee hiring, goal setting, supervision, evaluation and discipline;
• Amendment of the budget and warrant processes to facilitate distribution of information prior to Annual Town Meeting;
• Incorporation of the Board of Cemetery Commissioners, Commissioners of Trust Funds, Board of Library Trustees and Department of Public Works into the Charter; and
• Clarification of the process and timing of the decennial Charter Review.

No change is proposed to the election of any Town official.

This article #1 passed at Special Town Meeting in January, after several amendments. If this question fails at the ballot then the 2006 Charter will remain in effect. Read more…

QUESTION 2: Shall the Town of Hopkinton vote to have its elected Constables become appointed Constables of the Town?

This related article #62 Failed at Town Meeting, Yes 36 No 66

QUESTION 3: Shall the Town of Hopkinton be required to reduce the amount of real estate and personal property taxes to be assessed for the fiscal year beginning July first, two thousand and seventeen by an amount equal to $1,500,000 (ONE MILLION FIVE HUNDRED THOUSAND DOLLARS)?

An underride can be passed to limit additional funds for any municipal purpose. An underride permanently decreases the Town’s levy limit. It does not necessarily decrease taxes paid by residents. An underride question may be placed on the ballot by a majority vote of the Board of Selectmen and must be passed by a majority of voters. 

Appropriations Committee had a tie vote of 2-2 on whether to recommend the Underride.

This article #16 passed at Town Meeting.

QUESTION 4: Shall the Town of Hopkinton be allowed to exempt from the provisions of proposition two and one-half, so-called, the amounts required to pay for the bond issued in order to fund design and construction of traffic and pedestrian safety improvements on Hayden Rowe?

Slides from Town Meeting: Hayden Rowe Traffic Calming $1,050,000 Debt Exclusion

This article #24 passed at Town Meeting, 152 Yes to 20 No.

QUESTION 5: Shall the Town of Hopkinton be allowed to exempt from the provisions of proposition two and one-half, so-called, the amounts required to pay for the bond issued in order to repair the HVAC system on the Main St. Fire Station roof?

Slide from Town Meeting: Fire Station Roof HVAC $525,000 Debt Exclusion

This article #20 passed at Town Meeting.

QUESTION 6: Shall the Town be authorized to prohibit, from all zoning districts within the Town, marijuana establishments as defined in Section 1(j) of Chapter 94G of the Massachusetts General Laws, including commercial marijuana cultivators, marijuana testing facilities, marijuana product manufacturers, marijuana retailers, and any other type of marijuana-related businesses, but excluding Registered Medical Marijuana Dispensaries as defined in Article XXXIII of the Zoning Bylaw?

This is a different than article #38 at Town Meeting. This question would be a full Prohibition, not a Temporary Moratorium.