October 2, 2025 by Glenn Mangurian
Second in a Series: Learning about the New Center for Active Living Project
All agree that we need a new Center, but the project is at risk to garner the TM approval.
I have been following these discussions since mid-July – in person, on Zoom and in the Hingham Anchor. There seems to be a consensus that Hingham needs a new Center and consequences of not passing with the necessary 2/3 at TM would “send a discouraging message to the community—especially seniors—and leave us stuck with the status quo: a 5,000-square-foot facility that everyone agrees is inadequate.”
In my view, a rejection of the Center warrant article would delay the project for at least a generation.
Some have raised questions about the size and cost of the project.
Numbers like project size of 28,000 sq. ft. and now 26,000 sq. ft. and almost $30 million project cost easily generate a visceral reaction of “it’s too large and too expensive”. I’ve had an opportunity to discuss this with several who have raised the cost concern. I’ve asked what cost they could support. None have been able to answer that question. I share their uncertainty because I, like most residents, can’t relate to building size and project cost. It is an interesting quandary – we need a new facility but it sounds too expensive and I, like others, don’t know what project cost level to support.
I want to know what impact the project will have on my property taxes and the average tax payer.
How to translate project cost into property tax impact.
We have some recent borrowing history that can help understand property tax impact. A few months ago I spoke with Assistant Town Administrator for Finance (Michelle Monsegur) for guidance. Michelle told me it is fair to assume we seek a 30 year bond with decreasing principal similar in structure to recent borrowing for the Public Safety building and the Foster School. Every year we pay less for the debt. This differs from the 30 year residential mortgage in which monthly payments are equal over the 30 year term. The actual interest rate will be will be set at time of financing. Michelle told me that the rule of thumb assumption from Hingham’s recent borrowing is that the median property tax will increase by an average of $7.10 for the first eight years for each $1 million borrowed. The $7.10 assumption could likely decrease since there have been two reductions in the Fed interest rate since the last borrowing and the Fed has signaled two additional rate reductions before next April’s town meeting. The actual interest rate will be will be set at time of financing.
The current proposed project could increase the median property tax by an 8 year average of $210.
The outside Office of Project Management reported on September 30 a refined project cost estimate for the current proposed 25,950 sq. ft. building with town borrowing needs for $29.6 million. Using $7.10 rule of thumb assumption for $1 million borrowed, the current proposed project would raise property taxes by an 8- year average of $210 for the median tax bill of $10,813 based on 2025 median assessed value of $1,011,500. Again, half of the property owners (those with assessed property value less than $1,011,500) would pay less and half would pay more. Any further cost reductions will lower the tax impact by $7.10 for each $1 million borrowed and thereby lower the $210 increase. I will continue to monitor developments in borrowing needs. Tom Mayo will be adding a calculator on the town website for residents to put in their residential address and get their projected property tax increase from this project.
The new Center’s property tax increase should not force seniors on a fixed income to move out of Hingham?
Through the years new residents have bought a starter house, often traded up and then chose to move out of Hingham as they approach retirement. Some continue to choose to move for different reasons such as being physically closer to children and grandchildren, seeking condo living to avoid home maintenance or using the large home equity to purchase a second, warm climate condo. Today, fewer seniors are moving out of town. Many property owners may react to the $210 median property increase as very modest and manageable. Some may say, “Is that all?” Few on fixed income may find the additional $210 (or less depending if their current property taxes are less than the median of $10,813) as a “tipping point” on affordability. If you or someone you know might struggle to pay this potential increase in property taxes, refer them to the Assessor’s Office for guidance regarding Hingham’s nine property tax relief programs. Also, the current Center staff knows about Federal and State financial assistance programs to support those who now find themselves challenged to pay the increase.
Each of us needs to decide how we relate to the $210 increase.
All in all, the $210 or lower property tax increase for the median assessed property seems quite reasonable for a 50 year, 21 st century facility.
What do you think?
This is a small price to pay for seniors who have supported all of the tax increases in the past years including schools which they do not avail of. The programming details presented by the HCAL staff justify the size of a new senior center which will be a good addition to the quality of life in Hingham.
My wife and I moved to Hingham in 1976, living in the Bradley Woods neighborhood, perhaps one of the most tightly knit neighborhoods encompassing all age groups. We moved in 1999 to the Hingham Gardens neighborhood, also tightly knit and welcoming.
For the past 49 years we have supported the town of Hingham, their schools and found fiscal management. We are now seniors and using the current CAL facility. After 49 years of voting for all the things that make Hingham the quality town it is we are dismayed that there is so much pushback on the new CAL building. If it were not for the current seniors support Hingham would not be the town it is today, and those pushing back against the new CAL will very shortly be seniors-trust me, it sneaks up on you!!!
We may not be a growing percentage of the town’s population, but we are not insignificant-and we vote.
Thank you for doing these calculations. I am concerned that it will be more than that given my experience with the tax increase for the Foster School and Public Safety buildings. My actual increase was 60% more than the projection I was shown in the calculator. Adding another tax increase on top of the extreme inflation we are experiencing right now makes me apprehensive about this additional investment. I hope we see more accurate calculations in the calculator this time and that your estimate is correct.
I am not as concerned with the tax increases and cost as I am with sacrificing more of Bare Cove Park to development. We have a wonderful park, but it has been nibbled away by a number of developments that are reducing the size and diversity of the park. I would prefer that some of the existing buildings be “remodeled” to afford space for this new development.
It’s easy to say that $210/year is ‘very modest and manageable’. If this tax hike were a standalone tax then, yes, few would argue. But we seniors have had our tax bill get increased by a new public safety building, a new Foster School, a swimming pool (with an everchanging cost target), pickleball and I know I am forgetting others. We keep on funding these but we are not getting any SS pay raises to cover this, rather it comes out of our retirement funds. And yes, there is a tipping point that will cause us, both HHS graduates, to begrudgingly move to less pricey pastures and a $30M might just be it.
Colin, Thank you for your comment. As I mentioned, the $210 (or likely less) could be a “tipping point” on affordability for a few. If you want to stay in Hingham but can’t afford that increase, please go to the Assessors Office to learn about the nine tax relief programs. If you qualify for one or more, the benefit will more than cover the property tax increase associated with this project with probably money to reduce your current property tax bill also. Alternatively, if staying in Hingham is not that important, then cashing out the equity in your home and moving to a town where the purchase price is lower could be a financial decision. Do you investigation. For example, Norwell, a very nice town, is much lower as an purchase price for the equivalent Hingham home but has a 26% higher tax rate. If Hingham’s 2025 Median Assessed Value is $1,011,500, Norwell’s is 26% lower ($262,990) for the same tax bill. I wasn’t aware of any of this until I tried to understand how much the $30 million project cost would impact me.
$210/year amounts to 58 cents/day. That’s a small price to keep thousands of Hingham seniors off the street – or worse, from suffering in isolation at home. For many seniors, “ageing in place” is less about independence than it is about isolation, depression, and malnutrition. These are the seniors who continue to support our schools, recreational facilities, public safety, and more – years after their children have left the nest. Now our time to honor their commitment.
$210/year amounts to 58 cents/day. That’s a small price to keep thousands of Hingham seniors off the street – or worse, from suffering in isolation at home. For many seniors, “ageing in place” is less about independence than it is about isolation, depression, and malnutrition. These are the seniors who continue to support our schools, recreational facilities, public safety, and more – years after their children have left the nest. Now is our time to honor their commitment.
For me, this isn’t a decision about supporting Hingham’s senior population. We proved that when we were voted to pay $5.5mm for land on 3A for a public safety building, which we were told would also allow for “[e]xpansion of the current Senior Center into the current Police Department space, nearly tripling its size and maintaining its central location, while avoiding the building of a new standalone facility” (from Selectboard minutes). Do you think that would have passed if you told us that no, we’re going to move the police out AND we want to build in Bare Cove Park?
We have built an amazing community in our Town where we look after each other regardless of whether your 1 year old or 100 years old and whether you’ve lived here for 5 minutes or 50 years. But the proponents of this senior center at this location neglected to think about an equally important member of our community — our protected open spaces and our wildlife. We don’t need to destroy a forest to take care of our seniors.