OPINION: “Oops, I Did it Again” A enjoyable pop tune however a horrible enterprise mannequin

January 20, 2026 by Diane DeNapoli

How a lot of you opened your actual property tax invoice after the vacations and have been shocked by the numerous improve in your tax invoice? According to the Board of Assessors Office the common tax invoice for a single-family residence elevated 8%. I’ve talked to many individuals who had their invoice bounce, very unexpectedly by as a lot as 35%.

I attended a Board of Assessors assembly a number of weeks in the past and gained a greater understanding of what elements drove my taxes to extend over 18%. One cause for the bounce in taxes in 2026 was borrowing related to the brand new Foster School and the Public Safety Building. I used to be a staunch supporter of each initiatives and one cause I imagine the city supported the Public Safety Building is as a result of we have been informed “when the police move out to their new building the Senior Center can expand at Town Hall”.

The notion of increasing the Senior Center at Town Hall was supported in 2020 when, “In 2020 Town Meeting established the Senior Center Building Committee that was authorized to oversee the design and construction of the project to expand the side of the Senior Center in Town Hall to include the space that would be vacated by the Police Department to a new facility at 335 Lincoln Street are realized”,  city of Hingham web site. This assertion was strengthened by members of the Public Safety Building Committee, Invest in Hingham, members of the Advisory Committee and the Select Board.

As the Senior Center Building Committee did precise analysis on the feasibility of updating Town Hall, they concluded that the positioning wouldn’t meet their wants. Some causes cited for not increasing at Town Hall have been the dearth of parking, the necessity to replace the whole constructing to be ADA compliant (which it isn’t at the moment), and the fee related to the undertaking.

While I’ll query these factors, and the extent of diligence that was undertaken evaluating different websites for the undertaking my largest concern is how assumptions, greatest guesses, and well-meaning needs by a small minority drive main choices that may not truly profit many seniors in Hingham.

In 2022 the city commissioned a report referred to as “Aging in Hingham: A Community Needs Assessment” it was performed by Center for Social and Demographic Research on Aging Gerontology Institute John W. McCormack Graduate School of Policy & Global Studies University of Massachusetts Boston.

Key findings of the report are under:

• Economic insecurity is a priority for a lot of older adults in Hingham. The primary concern for with the ability to stay in Hingham as they age is being in a position to afford the rising property tax quantities and total prices of dwelling in the Town. For instance, one resident wrote eloquently, “Affordability is my greatest concern and worry. Every day I live on a fixed income, and it has become increasingly difficult each year to live in Hingham.”
• The rising monetary hole is a priority that was famous by Hingham leaders relating to residents, a lot of whom have spent their lives in Hingham, growing old of their neighborhood. According to American Community Survey (2016- 2020) estimates, a considerable share of households headed by somebody age 65 and older (24%) report annual incomes underneath $25,000. This compares with simply 7% of households headed by people aged 45 to 64 having incomes underneath $25,000.

Sample responses to query “What are your greatest concerns about your ability to continue living in Hingham as you get older?”

“Cost of Living/Affordability/Taxes 1) RE taxes keep going up, 2) water/sewer bill inexplicably higher although my usage of anything is lower. 3) Electrical bill stable but a vulnerability esp. as AC more needed due to global warming and my electrical bill , my heating bill due to sweltering summer months (annually)”

“Affordability is my greatest concern and worry. Every day I live on a fixed income, and it has become increasingly difficult each year to live in Hingham. Affordable independent living – getting priced out. Too expensive to live in Hingham – large houses. More resources are going to schools, infrastructure, and large apartment buildings. Not the Hingham we moved to.”

“I am living alone (spouse deceased) and no longer driving how will I meet my transportation, social, shopping, medical needs. The town could plan on increases in senior friendly transportation services for both access to activities and medical appointments.”

The similar research went on to ask the seniors what they’d need in a Senior Center.

Some key findings have been:

• A majority (61%) of survey respondents report that the Hingham Senior Center performs a job of their lives or the lives of their family members, neighbors or pals, making it clear that the Hingham Senior Center is a revered neighborhood asset.
• In alignment with the Town’s effort to execute planning for a future senior heart, respondents have been requested to decide on their most most well-liked situation for that future house. More than one-third of respondents would like renovation and enlargement of the present senior heart house. Among customers of the Hingham Senior Center, a second alternative is for a stand-alone senior heart constructing positioned elsewhere in Hingham. Among non-users of the Hingham Senior Center, a second-most most well-liked alternative is for a brand new stand alone neighborhood heart (18%). As nicely, a lot of respondents wrote of their desire for different choices, which largely included requires extra info or not having an opinion. When residents of Linden Ponds are excluded from evaluation, charges of desire for renovation and enlargement of present senior heart house will increase barely to 40% amongst non customers and 39% amongst present customers.

Since the summer time I’ve been reaching out to members of the Center for Active Living Building Committee, watching conferences associated to this undertaking, sending emails to Adcom and talking with members of the Select Board and I’ve but to get laborious information on info I imagine are vital to creating an knowledgeable resolution previous to voting on a 30 + Million greenback undertaking.

The individuals of Hingham, particularly our seniors who’ve strongly expressed their considerations about with the ability to stay in Hingham attributable to affordability, DESERVE solutions concerning the full influence of this proposed undertaking and the way this will likely be layered on high of our different well-known tax burdens and people which might be possible within the subsequent 1-3 years. The excellent news is the city has a mannequin that may precisely undertaking the tax impacts, and I’d implore The Advisory Committee and The Select Board to be fully clear concerning the tax implications of the CAL because it pertains to our different identified and projected bills.

The Advisory Committees position, as I perceive it, is to completely and diligently analyze all potential Warrant Articles from a price perspective and make suggestions primarily based on the deserves of the undertaking and consider them primarily based on the long-term monetary well being of the city. Should they not be permitted, or should not have the power or willingness to faithfully do their job, I imagine a residents led physique will likely be galvanized to offer this information. Knowledge is energy and the taxpayers ought to know all the prices related to the Center for Active Living together with the fee to run and hook up utilities wanted to provide the brand new website, the scope and price of the highway work, the projected working prices to care for this new website and detailed soil boring testing so we don’t have costly change orders after we begin building like we did with the Public Safety Building.

Many residents really feel we have been tricked concerning the Senior Center increasing at Town Hall. Don’t let the Center for Active Living be one other “OOPSIE” that leads the already strapped taxpayers of Hingham to construct one other very costly municipal constructing that’s underutilized. These “oopsies” erode belief in our city management and are avoidable if individuals in cost ask the precise questions, maintain OPM’s and constructing committee members accountable to offer information in a well timed method and share clear details about the last word impacts of any proposed undertaking on our taxes.