Hopkinton is a growing community of roughly 18,000 residents in Middlesex County, Massachusetts — and, like most Massachusetts towns, it governs itself through a structure refined over centuries. If you’re a new resident trying to make sense of who runs what, this guide breaks it all down. If you’re a longtime resident looking to get more involved, you’ll find the paths to participation here, too.
The Big Picture: How Hopkinton’s Government Works
Hopkinton operates under a Town Manager/Select Board/Open Town Meeting form of government. There is no mayor. Instead, three distinct branches share power:
- Town Meeting — the legislative branch, made up of all registered voters
- Select Board — the elected executive board and primary policymaker
- Town Manager — the professional administrator who runs day-to-day operations
This structure is common across Massachusetts and keeps governance close to residents, but it requires residents to be engaged participants to function well.
The Select Board
The Select Board is the town’s elected executive body. Five members serve three-year staggered terms, meaning not all seats are up for election at the same time. They are elected at the Annual Town Election each May.
The Select Board’s core responsibilities include:
- Setting broad policy direction for the town
- Appointing the Town Manager and evaluating their performance
- Adopting and submitting the town budget to Town Meeting
- Creating and overseeing many of the town’s boards and committees
- Licensing businesses (including alcohol licenses)
- Calling Town Meetings by issuing the official warrant
The Board meets regularly — typically twice a month — at Town Hall, 18 Main Street. Meetings are open to the public, broadcast on HCAM (the local access channel), and archived online. As of early 2026, the Board holds meetings in hybrid format (in-person and remote), and voted to hold the 2026 Annual Town Meeting on Saturday, May 2.
Select Board Coverage (Coming Soon!)
The Town Manager
The Select Board appoints a professional Town Manager to handle the day-to-day administration of Hopkinton. The Town Manager is the chief operating officer of the town and has broad authority over municipal departments.
Responsibilities of the Town Manager
- Hires and manages department heads (finance, public works, police, fire, and more)
- Prepares the annual operating budget
- Oversees about 28 appointed boards and commissions
- Serves as the point of contact between the Select Board and town staff
Current Town Manager: Elaine Lazarus (as of 2026). The Town Manager’s office is at 18 Main Street; the main line is 508-497-9701.
Town Meeting: Hopkinton’s Legislative Branch
In Hopkinton, every registered voter is a member of Town Meeting — an Open Town Meeting, the most direct form of democratic governance in the United States. Town Meeting is not a body of elected representatives; it is the full electorate, and anyone registered to vote in Hopkinton may attend, speak, and vote.
What Town Meeting Does
Town Meeting has the final word on three big categories:
- Appropriations — approving the town’s annual budget, capital projects, and special spending
- Bylaws — adopting and amending local laws and regulations (including zoning)
- Salaries — setting compensation for elected officials
A simple majority passes most articles. Some items — like land purchases by eminent domain — require a two-thirds supermajority.
Annual Town Meeting
The Annual Town Meeting (ATM) is held each spring, typically in May. In 2026, it is scheduled for Saturday, May 2, at the Middle School — notably the first time Hopkinton has tried a Saturday format to encourage broader participation. The ATM works through a printed warrant, a list of articles submitted by the Select Board, School Committee, other boards, or by citizen petition.
Special Town Meetings
The Select Board may call a Special Town Meeting (STM) when urgent business arises between annual meetings. In recent years, Hopkinton held STMs in 2023 and 2024 to address the Elmwood School replacement project and MBTA Communities zoning compliance, respectively.
The Warrant and How to Add an Article
Any registered voter can petition to add an article to the Town Meeting warrant by collecting signatures — typically 10 registered voters for most articles, or the number specified in the town bylaws. Petitions must be submitted to the Town Clerk by the deadline stated in the official warrant notice.
Town Meeting Coverage (Coming Soon!)
The School Committee
The School Committee is a separate, independently elected five-member board that governs the public school district. It is not subordinate to the Select Board. Its responsibilities include:
- Hiring and evaluating the Superintendent of Schools
- Adopting the school district’s annual budget
- Setting educational policy and goals
- Reviewing MCAS results, academic programs, and capital building projects
School Committee members serve three-year staggered terms and are elected at the Annual Town Election. The Committee meets every other Thursday at 7:00 P.M.a, typically at the HCAM Studio at 77 Main Street.
School Committee Coverage (Coming Soon!)
Key Appointed Boards and Commissions
Beyond the Select Board and School Committee, Hopkinton has more than 40 appointed and elected boards and commissions. Here are the most consequential ones:
Planning Board
The Planning Board reviews and approves large-scale land use proposals, subdivision plans, and site plans. It also recommends zoning bylaw changes to Town Meeting. The Planning Board meets monthly (typically on Monday evenings) and is central to any major development proposal.
Zoning Board of Appeals (ZBA)
The ZBA handles variance requests, special permits, and appeals of decisions by the Building Department. If a property owner wants to do something that doesn’t strictly comply with the zoning bylaw, the ZBA is usually the first stop.
Conservation Commission
Hopkinton has significant wetland resources, and the Conservation Commission enforces the Massachusetts Wetlands Protection Act and local bylaws. Any project near wetlands, streams, or floodplains requires a filing with the Conservation Commission before work begins.
Board of Health
The Board of Health sets and enforces local public health regulations — food safety inspections, septic system permits, communicable disease response, and more. It also appoints the Public Health Director.
Finance Committee (FinCom)
The Finance Committee reviews every spending article before Town Meeting and makes formal recommendations. Members are appointed, not elected. Their report is distributed to all households before the Annual Town Meeting. In practice, FinCom’s recommendations carry significant weight with voters.
Capital Improvement Program Committee (CIP Committee)
The CIP Committee evaluates and prioritizes major capital expenditures — buildings, equipment, infrastructure — and recommends a multi-year capital plan to the Select Board and Town Meeting. Any purchase over a threshold amount (typically $25,000) with a useful life of several years or more is considered a capital item.
Community Preservation Committee (CPC)
The CPC administers funds collected under the Massachusetts Community Preservation Act, which Hopkinton adopted by vote. A small surcharge on property taxes funds open space preservation, historic preservation, affordable housing, and recreation. Residents can apply to the CPC for project funding.
Other Boards and Commissions
| Board/Commission | Role |
| Board of Assessors | Sets property valuations for tax purposes |
| Board of Selectmen (Historical) | Now renamed the Select Board |
| Council on Aging | Programs and advocacy for older residents |
| Cultural Council | Distributes arts and culture grants |
| Historical Commission | Reviews demolition and changes to historic structures |
| Housing Authority | Manages affordable housing programs |
| Library Trustees | Governs the Hopkinton Public Library |
| Parks and Recreation Commission | Oversees parks, trails, and recreation programs |
| Tree Committee | Advises on the town’s urban forest |
How Residents Can Participate
Attend Meetings
All board and committee meetings are open to the public unless in executive session. Many are also streamed or recorded by HCAM. Most include a public comment period at the start or end.
Speak at Public Comment
At Select Board meetings and most other board meetings, residents may sign up to speak during the public comment period. Written comments submitted before the meeting are often entered into the official record.
Vote at Town Meeting
The most direct way to shape local policy is to show up at Town Meeting and vote. You must be a registered voter in Hopkinton. No proxy voting — you must appear in person.
Submit a Citizens’ Petition
To add an article to the Town Meeting warrant, collect the required number of voter signatures (check with the Town Clerk for current requirements) and submit by the published deadline.
Run for Office
Elected positions include: Select Board (5 members), School Committee (5 members), Board of Assessors, Board of Library Trustees, Housing Authority, Planning Board, Moderator, and Town Clerk. To get on the ballot, obtain nomination papers from the Town Clerk’s office (18 Main Street), collect at least 50 certified signatures from registered Hopkinton voters, and return by the filing deadline — typically late March for the May town election.
Apply for a Board or Committee Appointment
Most boards have member vacancies at some point. The Select Board periodically posts open seats. Contact the Town Manager’s office or the Select Board office to express interest.
Where to Find Agendas, Minutes, and Meeting Packets
- Town website: www.hopkintonma.gov — Click on any board or committee page to find upcoming agendas and posted packets.
- Google Groups: The town posts Select Board agenda packets and notices to a public Google Group. Search for “hopkintonma.gov” in Google Groups.
- HCAM: www.hcam.tv — Hopkinton’s local access channel records and archives most public meetings.
- eHop: www.ehop.org — A community information site that aggregates meeting notices and local news.
- Town Clerk’s office: 18 Main Street — for official records, warrants, minutes, and election information. Phone: 508-497-9710.
Quick Reference: Key Contacts
| Office | Address | Phone |
| Town Hall (general) | 18 Main Street | 508-497-9700 |
| Town Manager | 18 Main Street | 508-497-9701 |
| Town Clerk | 18 Main Street | 508-497-9710 |
| Department of Public Works | 83 Wood Street | 508-497-9740 |
| Hopkinton Public Schools | 89 Hayden Rowe | 508-497-9800 |
Bookmark this guide and follow our Local Government (Coming Soon!) coverage on HopNews for the latest on Select Board meetings, Town Meeting warrant articles, and the boards and commissions shaping Hopkinton’s future.
