Hopkinton Budget Leaders Preview Town Meeting, Urge Public Participation Before Saturday Vote

HOPKINTON — April 29, 2026 — Hopkinton's town manager and CFO outlined the town's nine-month budget process days before the May 2 annual town meeting. Town Manager Elaine Lazarus and Chief Financial Officer Carla LaPierre appeared on the town's public-access program "Hopkinton Works" to walk residents through the full cycle, from the October 1 charter deadline for a unified budget calendar through the Appropriation Committee report due 14 days before town meeting. LaPierre highlighted two major changes in this year's cycle: the rollout of new budgeting software called ClearGov, which replaced spreadsheets for department-head submissions, and a shift to historical-average revenue projections that generated a 40 percent increase in estimated revenues and made balancing the budget "a lot easier." Lazarus warned that state aid from Beacon Hill will not be finalized before Saturday's vote, and that a post-town-meeting shortfall would require a special town meeting — as occurred in fiscal year 2026. Both officials noted open seats on the Appropriation Committee and Capital Improvement Committee, with applications available online.