Following another successful Boston Marathon, May 16 began the traditional campaign season in Hopkinton and signs for prospective candidates began popping up in yards around town. 

Although every open position has at least one candidate seeking office in the May 20 election, there is only one contested position, and it is for the most powerful board in town, the Select Board. 

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Entrusted with broad authority, the Select Board plays a significant role in overseeing various administrative functions within Hopkinton. Their responsibilities include:

1. Oversight and Evaluation: The Select Board is involved in the hiring and evaluation of key municipal employees, including the town manager, police chief and fire chief. This involves reviewing performance based on established goals and engaging in discussions about improvements and future initiatives.
2. Policy and Decision Making: The board discusses and makes decisions on various policy issues that affect the town. This includes everything from public safety policies to community engagement strategies and internal administrative policies.
3. Public Administration and Governance: The Select Board works closely with other town officials and departments to ensure that the town is being run effectively. They address issues such as recruitment, retention, and professional development within town departments.
4. Community Engagement and Feedback: The Select Board actively engages with the community through public meetings, gathering feedback from citizens, and uses this information to guide their decisions and policies.
5. Municipal Finance Oversight. The Select Board, through the town manager, works to prepare and approve the town’s budget, which this year is expected to top $123 million. The budget is then submitted to Annual Town Meeting voters for approval. 

In February, HopNews hosted a reader poll that attempted to gauge voter sentiment of the current Select Board. Six hundred and sixty-eight readers responded, and each were asked a variety of questions about the board and its individual members. The poll revealed that a full 89% of respondents were “not confident” in the current board, and felt that the handling of town finances was “very weak”. The board also scored exceptionally low in terms of trust and transparency.

As indicated in the reader poll, and the continuing movement to recall individual members, turnout for the May 20 election is expected to be high.

Looking to May, there are four candidates running for two Select Board seats, replacing outgoing chair Muriel Kramer and member Irfan Nasrullah.

• Joseph Clark (meet Joe Clark)
• Brian Herr (meet Brian Herr)
• Kyla McSweeney (meet Kyla McSweeney)
• Peter Mimmo (meet Peter Mimmo)

This week, there are three scheduled events where voters can meet and interact with the candidates. 

36th Annual Meet the Candidates night

• When: Tuesday, April 23 7:00 PM – 9:00 PM
• Host: Hopkinton Women’s Club
• Location: HCAM Studios – 77 Main Street

The HWC encourages townspeople to join them at the HCAM-TV Studio on 77 Main Street for the opportunity to learn more about citizens running for office, and to pose questions about key issues before the May 20th Town Election. The event will be streamed live and broadcast on HCAM-TV (Comcast channels 8 & 9, Verizon channels 30 & 31).

Select Board Candidate Meet-and-Greet

• When: Friday, April 26 6:00 PM – 8:00 PM 
• Host: Grassroots Group of Local Citizens
• Location: Woodville Rod & Gun Club

This free meet-and-greet is an informal open house gathering for Hopkintonians. Come get to know all four candidates on a more personal level. No formal Q&A presentations; just handshakes and casual conversations.

Moderated Select Board Candidate Debate

• When: Sunday, April 28 4:00 PM – 8:00 PM 
• Host: Grassroots Group of Local Citizens
• Location: Live on HCAM and HopNews

HCAM-TV News Director Tom Nappi and HopNews Editor-in-Chief Peter Thomas will moderate a debate between candidates for the Select Board election to be held on May 20. The debate will be broadcast live on HCAM-TV (Comcast channels 8 & 9, Verizon channels 30 & 31) and streamed live on HCAM’s YouTube page and HopNews. The moderators will take turns asking questions about pressing issues that affect Hopkinton voters, including access to clean water, the Main Street project, police and fire issues, and the safety of the Wilson Street Eversource LNG plant.