With scary deficits projected, Hopkinton officials think long term

HOPKINTON

With scary projections of a $20 million school budget deficit by the year 2017 looming, Hopkinton town officials are mulling a task force to examine long-range municipal financial planning.

School committee member Phil Totino said the town needs a formal strategy to deal with projections, which put the blame on increases due to rising fixed costs like energy and health insurance for staff.

The School Committee recently discussed proposing a task force made up of town department heads that would put together budget projections and examine ways to offset expected deficits, such as by attracting more commercial and industrial growth to shore up the town's tax base. Totino said he hopes the group will begin meeting this fall.

-— Kyle Alspach