January 21, 2026 By Carol Britton Meyer
During a 2-1/2-hour meeting, the select board voted to include nearly a dozen additional, select-board sponsored articles in the April Town Meeting warrant related in part to the proposed sale of town property – the former Torrent fire station on North Street; the now-vacant 8 Short Street former DPW barn where Dick Orr ran his cabinetmaking business for a number of years; the possible sale or lease of the Lincoln School Apartments (LSA); and another related to the possibility of using electronic voting devices at Town Meeting down the road.
The sale of 8 Short St. and Torrent Fire station would include historic preservation restrictions. No estimates of these properties’ worth was given.
“These votes tonight are only about whether to put the articles on the warrant, with further discussion at future meetings,” Chair William Ramsey said. The board and advisory committee will weigh in on all the warrant articles leading up to Town Meeting on April 27 (and possibly April 28 if there are two sessions).
Ramsey explained that one of the board’s goals this year is “to raise additional revenue, including through the sale of unused town buildings. This is a great way to do that,” he said.
In addition, the Hingham Affordable Trust is proposing a warrant article that would authorize but not require the select board to dispose of the LSA property – through a sale, lease, or other conveyance – a decision that it would make after engaging in a Request for Proposals process if the warrant article passes.
Chair Jack Falvey explained that the apartments – which provide 60 affordable rental homes for seniors – need significant, costly improvements that the town can’t afford, as well as lacking the expertise to manage the LSA long-term. “The town would protect affordability to the greatest extent possible through a deed restriction,” he explained.
The Trust has met with residents and neighbors to talk about the proposed warrant article and to answer their questions and listen to their concerns. “The town will do what it can to protect the occupancy of the current residents and maintain the affordability of the units,” Falvey said.
First step in long process
Ramsey noted that, if approved, this is the first step in a long process and that in order for him to support the article, he wants guarantees that the “living situation of the current residents will be unchanged” and that the issue will be fully vetted. The town will continue to communicate with abutters and residents.
The 2022 proposal to impose a real estate transfer fee equal to 1% of the purchase price consideration paid for the transfer of any real property interest situated in the Town of Hingham – to be borne by the buyer – is being revisited. The purpose is to use the proceeds first to bolster the town’s affordable housing stock if it falls below the state’s required 10 percent threshold and then for general purposes related to the town budget.
“This is one way to raise needed revenue without raising property taxes,” Ramsey said. “If this passes, the need for overrides may never come to fruition” due to the large amount of revenue it would generate. Town Administrator Tom Mayo agreed with that comment.
Another warrant article relates to transferring from available funds a sum of money to the Fiscal 2027 group health insurance budget to allow the town to temporarily increase the employer-paid portion of heath insurance premiums form 50% to 60% of the total costs for Fiscal 2027 only due to continuing concerns expressed by employees about the high cost of health insurance.
An employee spoke in support of the warrant article, as did School Committee Chair Jen Benham.
The warrant article related to electronic voting asks voters to approve funds estimated at around $100,000 to be spent under the select board’s direction in consultation with the town moderator to pay for electronic voting devices and associated equipment for use at Town Meeting if a task force that will be created to look into that possibility recommends it. No money would be spent otherwise. There are a number of steps involved.
There will be further discussions on all of the warrant articles leading up to Town Meeting.