Bow grapples with $400,000 gap
Selectmen to meet, talk over new figures
May 16, 2008
Concord Monitor
After Bow voters rejected an $8.3 million operating budget proposal Wednesday, officials must now figure out how to make up for a nearly $400,000 gap.
An amended budget of about $7.9 million was approved at town meeting after debate over whether residents could afford the higher figure. The board of selectmen had aimed to keep increases at 3 percent over last year’s budget, but the numbers were closer to 8 percent. The town projected that nondiscretionary costs, such as rising fuel prices, utilities and insurance, totaled a 4.4 percent increase alone.
Selectmen will meet next week to discuss what the amended figures will mean for the 2008-09 budget year. They have until July 1 to determine where those cuts will come from.
Proponents of the original proposal said that it will be difficult to figure out where to make those cuts and that jobs could be eliminated.
“I am concerned, based upon the cuts we made last year, that we may be looking at cutting employees,” said Selectman Jack Crisp. “It’ll be hard to figure out where else to get the money.”
Last year’s proposed budget was lower than the previous year’s, Crisp said. It was also slashed by voters, by nearly $500,000.
Those cuts resulted in unpaved roads, a reduction in street lighting, and strains to parks and recreation programs, Town Manager Jim Pitts said.
“All I can say at this point is that the cut is deep. I don’t think there’s any way to avoid affecting the level of services we currently provide,” Pitts said. “Between the two years, we’ve had almost a million cut out at town meeting. I think the selectmen will have a very difficult challenge.”
Pitts said it was “entirely possible” services hit by last year’s cuts could face the same scrutiny again.
“It’s up to the selectmen. Our priorities have to be in the areas of public safety. It’s pretty difficult to find cuts in those areas, although they looked at them last year and we’ll look again,” Pitts said.
Bow Police Lt. Dave Girard said he expects the cuts to affect the department, which requested $32,000 in capital reserve funds for an SUV. That request fell outside the operational budget and did not come up for a vote Wednesday. Voters recessed the meeting before getting to all the items on the warrant.
“I’m confident that we’re going to be affected by a certain degree. It’s really in the hands of the town manager and selectmen at this point,” Girard said. “We will live by the decisions made by our elected officials.”
Resident Brad Hutton, who lost a run for the budget committee by 47 votes, voted for the amendment. He said his taxes increased by 19 percent last year.
“I didn’t have a heart problem. I might have one now,” Hutton said. “I think what we’re not seeing here is the whole picture, because the town and school budgets aren’t combined. . . . . It seems to me something’s got to give before this town and all the townsfolk are bankrupt.”
From putting together the budget, Pitts said he fully understands the frustration voters feel over higher prices.
“We’re going through it as well. They can’t do anything about it either, and they’re frustrated and they’re trying to make ends meet. We’re dealing with the same cost increases they are because we’re buying the same things.
The impact on the tax rate wasn’t immediately clear.
“It’s all money, and that’s all important to people. I respect that,” Crisp said.
Separately, voters approved 13 additional articles before the meeting adjourned about 11:15 p.m. The meeting will resume 7 p.m. May 28 at the high school.