HINGHAM - May 2, 2026 - Following a narrow defeat at Town Meeting, the proposed $29.9 million Hingham Center for Active Living (CAL) project suffered a definitive blow at the ballot box Saturday. Residents turned out to reject the required debt exclusion by a margin of 145 votes, effectively shelving the project for the foreseeable future while returning key incumbents to office, including Select Board Chair William Ramsey and Town Moderator Michael Puzo.
The Full Story
The town-wide election results finalized Saturday night confirmed what many suspected after a contentious Town Meeting earlier in the week: the appetite for the $29.9 million Hingham Center for Active Living is not there in its current form. The ballot question, which asked voters to approve a property tax increase (debt exclusion) to fund the project, failed with 649 residents voting “No” against 504 in favor.
The rejection at the polls was even more decisive than the vote at Town Meeting. While the project technically received a slim majority of the Town Meeting Ballot (510–470), it failed to reach the mandatory two-thirds threshold required for borrowing. At the ballot box, where only a simple majority is needed, the project failed to secure even 44% of the vote. The “No” vote carried nearly every precinct, with Precinct 4 showing the strongest opposition (105 No to 54 Yes). Only Precinct 7A showed majority support for the project, passing it 107 to 64.
In the candidate races, incumbents and established leaders saw strong support. William C. Ramsey was re-elected to the Select Board with 1,077 votes in an uncontested race. Similarly, Michael J. Puzo will continue his tenure as Town Moderator, earning 1,052 votes.
The most watched contested seat was for the Planning Board, where Gary Stephen Tondorf-Dick secured a convincing victory. Tondorf-Dick earned 860 votes, defeating challenger Philip Decola, who received 364 votes.
For the School Committee, where voters were asked to select two candidates, Jennifer A. Benham (938 votes) and Nina Theresa Villanova (925 votes) were both elected to three-year terms.
Other uncontested winners included Elizabeth A. Eldredge for Board of Health (1,075 votes), Joseph M. Fisher for Municipal Light Board (1,036 votes), and Randall M. Winters for Board of Assessors (1,022 votes).
Why It Matters
The failure of the CAL ballot question represents a major turning point for Hingham’s capital planning. With the project now rejected by both the legislative body (Town Meeting) and the electorate (Ballot), town leadership must reassess how to address the needs of an aging population without a $30 million price tag. For taxpayers, the result avoids a significant “debt exclusion” tax hike that would have been added to property tax bills for the next several decades.
Official Minutes & Data
Key Election Outcomes
Ballot Question 1 (HCAL Debt Exclusion):
Outcome: FAILED
Vote Count: 504 YES / 649 NO / 171 Blanks
Select Board (Vote for One):
Winner: William C. Ramsey (1,077 votes)
Town Moderator (Vote for One):
Winner: Michael J. Puzo (1,052 votes)
Planning Board (Vote for One):
Winner: Gary Stephen Tondorf-Dick (860 votes)
Opponent: Philip Decola (364 votes)
School Committee (Vote for Two):
Winners: Jennifer A. Benham (938 votes) and Nina Theresa Villanova (925 votes)
Board of Health (Vote for One):
Winner: Elizabeth A. Eldredge (1,075 votes)
Precinct Trends
The data shows a clear geographic divide. While Precinct 7A (107–64) was a stronghold for the “Yes” vote, heavy opposition in Precinct 3 (95 No) and Precinct 4 (105 No) ultimately tipped the scales against the project.
What’s Next
The newly elected and re-elected officials will be sworn in to begin their terms. The Select Board and the HCAL Building Committee will now likely move to determine if a smaller-scale or alternative facility can gain the consensus that this $29.9 million proposal lacked.
Source: Town of Hingham Official Election Results, May 2, 2026.
Excellent summary. One minor detail: the town meeting vote was a ballot vote.