Hingham Select Board Unanimously Approves $173 Million FY27 Budget Package

HINGHAM -- March 17, 2026, Hingham Select Board approves $173 million FY27 budget and advances Route 3A project in marathon session. The board voted unanimously March 17 to recommend the $173,059,838 fiscal year 2027 spending plan, covering all town departments from the $73,880,041 school budget to $13,893,125 in debt service, with Chair William Ramsey abstaining only on the $8,913,208 police budget due to a family conflict of interest. Assistant Town Administrator for Finance Katie Dugan reported the five-year financial forecast is now balanced at zero for FY27, $239,000 better than projected after healthcare insurance came in at a 7.1 percent increase against an initial projection of up to 12 percent, allowing the town to avoid drawing on its $3.7 million tax mitigation stabilization fund. The board also voted unanimously to recommend favorable action on Article GG, advancing land-transfer language for the 1.7-mile Route 3A safety corridor project, which carries $32.5 million in committed MassDOT construction funding for fiscal year 2027 but requires Article 97 legislative approval before MassDOT can advertise the project in February 2027. Town Engineer JR Frey warned that failure to pass the article at this spring's Annual Town Meeting would delay construction by a full year. The board also voted 3-0 to recommend favorable action on Article V, the potential sale, lease, or conveyance of 86 Central Street for affordable senior housing, over public concerns about the long-term durability of deed restrictions.