Hopkinton voters pick Select Board members, approve 8 requests to raise taxes in election
HOPKINTON — The town's Select Board is set to welcome a newcomer and former member, according to unofficial results of Monday's election.
Former Select Board Chair Brian Herr, who left the Select Board in 2021, was elected back to the Select Board during Monday's election. He received the second-most votes behind newcomer Joseph Clark, 1,851 and 1,894, respectively. The two will spend three years on the board.
Four candidates sought two seats, making it the most competitive race on the ballot. Kyla McSweeney (962 votes) and Peter Mimmo (888 votes) came up short and were not elected to the board. Each voter was able to cast two votes - one for each seat.
Herr and Clark replace now-former Select Board Chair Muriel Kramer and Irfan Nasrullah, who both chose not to run for re-election. Kramer is running for Governor's Council in District 2.
How many people voted in Hopkinton's town election
At this year's election, 2,919 of the 13,368 registered voters cast ballots, representing about 22%. The results from Town Clerk Connor Degan are unofficial.
All results are unofficial until verified by the Secretary of State's office.
What else was on the ballot?
All other races were uncontested. These include:
Board of Assessors: Lesley Ficarri (2,054 votes)
Board of Health: Mary Jo Ondrechen (2,038 votes)
Board of Library Trustees, three years: Anne Beauchamp (2,070 votes)
Board of Library Trustees, one year: Stanley Pulnik (2,067 votes)
Cemetery Commissioner, three years: Linda Kimball (2,046 votes)
Cemetery Commissioner, two years: Arene Casassa (1,997 votes)
Commissioners of Trust Funds: Amanda Murphy (2,001 votes)
Constable: Michael King (1,983 votes)
Parks and Recreation Commissioners, three years: Daniel Terry (2,031 votes and Amy O'Donnell (1,977 votes)
Parks and Recreation, one year (1,929 votes)
Housing Authority, five years: Ilana Casady (2,036 votes)
Housing Authority, one year: Beth Malloy (1,975 votes)
Planning Board, five years: Parker Happ (1,976 votes)
Planning Board, three years: Lucia Lopez (1,962 votes)
Planning Board, one year: Karen Wills (1,989 votes)
School Committee: Christopher Masters (1,987 votes) and Jamie Wronka (1,910 votes)
How did the ballot questions on Hopkinton's town election ballot do?
In addition, Hopkinton residents voted on a total of eight ballot questions to fund various town projects. Voters approved raising taxes to fund the digitization of records; raising taxes to pay for a bond issued to renovate and add to the Hopkins Elementary School; raising $500,000 for drainage improvements on Ash and Fenton streets; raising $850,000 for culvert replacement on Granite Street; raising $958,000 for the replacement of the ozone treatment system at the Howe Street Water Treatment Plant in Ashland; and raising $400,000 for the East Main Street Water Main replacement.
Each of these seven questions was previously approved at Town Meeting.
More: Elmwood Elementary School clears last hurdle. How tax bills are impacted, next steps
Town election voters also supported a question that would allow taxes to be raised to pay for a bond issued to replace HVAC systems at Hopkinton schools, but Town Meeting voters took a procedural step on this question and voted to take no action.
So the money to pay for the HVAC replacement project is approved, but the spending cannot be approved without a future affirmative vote at Town Meeting.
Voters said no to the fifth ballot question, which would have allowed the town to borrow money for the construction and roadway, sidewalk, and drainage improvements on DiCarlo Road, Peppercorn Road, and Barbara Road. Voters also said no to this at the annual town meeting, and now the spending for the project cannot proceed.
This article originally appeared on MetroWest Daily News: Hopkinton Election: Herr, Clark win Select Board race; 8 questions pass
