Accountability posts
Drafts ready to share. Click to copy, then post. Select Board · Hopkinton, NH · February 18, 2025.
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Off-agenda nonpublic personnel session with sealed minutes — residents had no prior notice
At the 2/18 Hopkinton Select Board meeting, a second nonpublic (personnel) session was held that was NOT on the public agenda. Minutes were sealed 4-0. Residents had no notice personnel matters would be decided that night. That's a transparency problem.
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Nearly 8% school budget increase and overall 5.98% combined increase hitting property taxpayers
Hopkinton's proposed FY2026 budget includes a 7.99% school district increase and 2.54% town increase — 5.98% combined. Budget Committee backed it unanimously. Voters will decide at the March 20 Business Session. Know what you're voting on.
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Published minutes omit the SB2 public hearing testimony, budget update, and other substantive business
Hopkinton residents: the official minutes from the 2/18 Select Board meeting are missing the entire SB2 public hearing — including all resident testimony — plus the budget update and Webster lagoon bond discussion. Major business. Not in the record.
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High-stakes SB2 governance vote requiring 3/5 supermajority at March 20 Business Session
On 3/20, Hopkinton voters will decide whether to adopt SB2 — a structural change to how the town governs itself. It needs a 3/5 supermajority at the Business Session. If you care how your town makes decisions, show up.
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🧵 Hopkinton Select Board met 2/18/25. There are real accountability issues residents should know about before the March 20 Town Meeting. Thread:
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1/ An unscheduled nonpublic SESSION for personnel matters was held — it was NOT listed on the public agenda. Only a legal nonpublic session was posted. Residents had zero notice that personnel decisions might be made that night. The board then voted 4-0 to seal those minutes.
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2/ The stated reason for sealing: 'divulgence could affect the reputation of a non-Board member.' That may be legally valid — but when the session wasn't on the agenda at all, the public couldn't even choose to attend and observe the open portion of the meeting beforehand.
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3/ Now the budget: School District up 7.99%. Town up 2.54%. Combined recommended increase: 5.98%. Budget Committee supported all of it unanimously. Every Hopkinton property owner will feel this. Voters decide March 20 — if you're not there, someone else decides for you.
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4/ Also on March 20: Article 6, the SB2 proposal. This would shift Hopkinton from traditional town meeting deliberation to an official ballot referendum format. It needs a 3/5 supermajority to pass. Multiple residents testified at the 2/18 public hearing — community is divided.
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5/ Speaking of that public hearing — it's almost entirely MISSING from the official published minutes. The SB2 testimony, the budget update, the Webster lagoon bond discussion — none of it appears. The minutes end abruptly after routine early business. That's a records problem.
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6/ Bottom line: One unscheduled closed session. A near-8% school budget hike. A governance referendum. And a published record that omits most of the meeting. Hopkinton residents deserve better before a high-stakes March 20 vote. Read the transcript. Attend the meeting.
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Longer-form draft.
**Hopkinton Select Board — February 18, 2025: What You Should Know Before March 20** The Hopkinton Select Board met on February 18th, and several things from that meeting deserve public attention — especially with a high-stakes Town Meeting Business Session coming up on March 20. **An unscheduled nonpublic session for personnel matters was not on the agenda.** The posted agenda listed one nonpublic session, for legal matters. But the board held a second, unannounced nonpublic session to discuss personnel. Residents who reviewed the agenda before deciding whether to attend had no way of knowing personnel matters would be discussed or decided that night. The board voted 4-0 to enter the session and 4-0 to seal the minutes, citing potential reputational harm to a non-board member. The legal basis for sealing may be sound — but the lack of prior public notice is a transparency failure, plain and simple. **The proposed FY2026 budget means a significant tax bill increase.** Budget Committee Chair Mr. Traum reported that the committee unanimously backed all financial items: a 2.54% increase for the Town, a 7.99% increase for the School District, and a 5.98% overall combined increase. That school district number is the driver to watch. All Hopkinton property owners will see the impact. Voters will approve or reject these figures at the March 20 Business Session — if you're not in the room, you don't have a say. **Article 6 — the SB2 proposal — is a major governance decision.** This article would shift Hopkinton from traditional deliberative town meeting to an Official Ballot Referendum format, changing how residents participate in municipal decisions for years to come. It requires a 3/5 supermajority of those present at the Business Session to pass. Multiple residents testified at the February 18 public hearing, signaling real community interest on both sides. Board member Mr. Cass noted that hybrid models (like Peterborough's) exist as a middle-ground option. This deserves an informed, well-attended vote. **Finally — and this matters for accountability — the officially published minutes from the February 18 meeting are incomplete.** The entire SB2 public hearing, including all resident testimony, is absent. So are the budget committee update and the Webster lagoon bond discussion. These are substantive, high-significance items. Residents who rely on official minutes to stay informed are being shortchanged. If you want the full picture, you need to review the meeting transcript directly.