Hingham Select Board Recommends $165.7 Million Budget for Fiscal Year 2026
Board Approves Town Meeting Warrant, Advances Downtown Revitalization Efforts
HINGHAM - March 27 and April 1 - The Hingham Select Board has unanimously voted a balanced budget of $165,757,781 for fiscal year 2026, with education receiving the largest allocation at $72 million. It heads to Town Meeting for approval
During their March 27 meeting, board members Joe Fisher, Bill Ramsey, and Liz Klein voted on individual departmental budgets before approving the total fiscal year 2026 budget.
The education budget, which includes the school department, received $72,007,204, representing approximately 43% of the total town budget.
Public safety, including police, fire, dispatch services, building, animal control, harbormaster, and public safety utilities, received the second-largest allocation at $19,936,420.
Employee benefits, which include group insurance, OPEB, contributory retirement, workers compensation, unemployment, and mandatory Medicare, were allocated $18,769,305.
The enterprise funds budget, covering the South Shore Country Club and Weir River water system, received $16,814,023.
Debt service was allocated $13,695,055, while the public works budget, which includes DPW highway, tree and park, transfer station, and sewer, received $11,097,631.
The general government budget, covering multiple town departments including Select Board, Human Resources, Information Technology, and Town Clerk, among others, was approved at $7,104,322.
Culture and recreation, which includes the library, recreation, athletic field maintenance, bathing beach, historic preservation, and celebrations, received $3,408,642.
Human services, encompassing health, center for active living, and veteran services, was allocated $1,054,599.
The unclassified budget, which includes property and liability insurance, received $1,870,580.
Town officials balanced the budget by using $334,570 from the excess overlay account that was released by the board of assessors.
"We just wanted to show everyone that the budget is now balanced for FY26," Michelle Monsegur, Assistant Town Administrator of Finance, explained during the meeting. "We plugged in all the numbers that we recommended and you just voted and we used $334,570 from the excess overlay account that was released by the board of assessors a week or two ago to close the gap for FY26."
Board member Bill Ramsey commended the town's financial team for their work on the budget.
"I just wanted to compliment Tom, Michelle, Art on the great work y'all did. Thank you for doing this," Ramsey said. "That was not easy. As you said, you had to cut $800,000 in places. Those were tough decisions and respect the work you did."
Chair Joe Fisher echoed these sentiments, acknowledging the collaborative effort to work within fiscal constraints.
"I think the team pulled together and recognized the fiscal constraints and came up with a budget that satisfied those constraints," Fisher said. "So again, Tom, Michelle, Art, and everyone else who worked on the budget, thank you very much."
The Select Board meeting was held remotely in accordance with Chapter 2 of the Acts of 2023 and other applicable laws temporarily amending certain provisions of the Open Meeting Law.
After completing all budget votes, the board adjourned the meeting.
April 1 - The Hingham Select Board adopts the 2025 Annual Town Meeting Warrant and receives promising updates on downtown revitalization efforts during their April 1 meeting. The board's actions set the stage for the upcoming Town Meeting while advancing initiatives aimed at boosting downtown Hingham's economic vitality.
Select Board Chair Joe Fisher and member Liz Klein unanimously approved the warrant, which contains articles previously reviewed by the board over several months. The document will now be distributed to town residents.
"A lot of work has gone in, not just by the Select Board and not just by our staff, but by the Advisory Committee, a host of other committees, and we thank everyone for their work," Fisher says.
Town Administrator Tom Mayo explains that while the Select Board has authority over what goes into the warrant, the Advisory Committee provides the recommended motions that answer the questions posed in each article.
The warrant includes a new QR code feature allowing residents to download an electronic copy, enhancing accessibility to town meeting information.
Art Robert, Hingham's Assistant Town Administrator of Operations, presents comprehensive updates on downtown initiatives focused on three key areas: improving communication with downtown stakeholders, promoting heritage tourism, and enhancing cell service.
"Over the past few months, town staff has made it a point to engage with Amy Brown, who is the director of Discover Hingham, participate in their meetings and contribute in meaningful ways," Robert says.
The town is developing a permitting guide to simplify processes for small businesses, providing clarity on requirements, service expectations, fees, timelines, and contact information for questions.
"Business people are very busy. Folks who are operating very small businesses don't always understand how to access the town and what to expect of us," Robert explains.
To address vacant storefronts, the town is partnering with the South Shore Chamber to implement a training program that will help identify entrepreneurs interested in launching businesses in downtown spaces.
"Working with the South Shore Chamber, we've been able to access a training program that between the downtown association and the town, we'll get a much better sense of exactly how we can identify entrepreneurs who may be interested in launching a business and get them into a storefront in collaboration with a property owner for a limited time period," Robert says.
A significant opportunity for downtown revitalization comes through leveraging heritage tourism and the Revolutionary 250 (Rev 250) initiative, which commemorates the country's 250th anniversary. The town is forming a task force to coordinate events and activities that highlight Hingham's Revolutionary Era history.
"We think Hingham, given our strong history and heritage in the Revolutionary Era, can play a part in that," Robert says. "What we're looking to do is find ways to take advantage of what we have, share it with the community, share it with the world, and attract visitors to different events and activities."
The task force will include representatives from the Downtown Association and the Hingham Historical Society, whose director, Deidre Anderson, expresses enthusiasm for the partnership.
"We are so excited to partner with the town, and I am honored to be a part of the task force for Rev 250," Anderson says. "In 1976, the town and the Historical Society partnered for the Bicentennial, and it's wonderful to be back here together again for the Semi-Quincentennial."
Robert also reports significant progress on improving cell service in downtown Hingham. Verizon is finalizing deployment of cell infrastructure at 30 Green Street, expected to be operational by the end of the month.
"While that infrastructure may be turned on, it might take some time for the antennas to be optimized in such a way to have maximum impact. But we certainly expect that the location depicted on this map here will improve cell service performance in the square area," Robert explains.
Additionally, the town is reviewing responses to an RFP for leasing land at 25 Bare Cove Park Drive on the DPW footprint for construction of a cell tower monopole that would support multiple service providers.
"We're on track to move forward through a contracting process. Assuming we get to that, we're optimistic that we'll have something built and new service available late this year or early next," Robert says.
Klein expresses appreciation for the progress, noting, "I know you've been working hard on this behind the scenes, so thank you for sharing it with us tonight. All good news and lots of progress, so that's exciting."
Fisher indicates the board is unlikely to meet next week but will notify the public if a meeting becomes necessary.
Full meetings available via Harbor Media. March 27 and April 1.