Hingham Select Board submits 11 warrant articles, including healthcare subsidy and civil service withdrawal

Select Board · Meeting of January 20, 2026

Hingham Select Board unanimously advances 11 warrant articles for the 2026 Annual Town Meeting. Meeting a midnight warrant deadline, Chair Bill Ramsey and members Liz Klein and Julie Strehle voted on articles spanning a proposed $1.35 million one-time employee healthcare subsidy — temporarily raising the town's premium contribution from 50 to 60 percent for FY27 only — and two articles to withdraw the Fire and Police departments from state Civil Service, carrying an estimated $750,000 in one-time payments of $7,500 per officer. Town Administrator Tom Mayo said the moves stem from collective bargaining negotiations and a healthcare task force, noting that at 50-50, Hingham funds healthcare "at the lowest amount allowed by law." The board also authorized RFP language for a potential sale or lease of the 60-unit Lincoln School Apartments at 86 Central Street, and articles to sell the former DPW barn at 8 Short Street and the shuttered Torrent Fire Station at 230 North Street, all aimed at generating capital without a property tax increase.

The anticipated total draw on excess unassigned fund balance for ATM 2026 is approximately $7.1 million of an estimated $11.3 million surplus above the town's required reserve floor.

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Source: the Select Board meeting of January 20, 2026, reported from the official video recording and transcript.