Just a quick and dirty update:
Important issues on tomorrow nights (Tuesday) select board agenda.
D. Budget Reviews:
5:40 PM – Welfare – Deb Bourbeau
5:50 PM – Heritage Commission
6:00 PM – Assessing – Carol Olson
6:10 PM – Community Development & Planning, ZBA, Planning Board – Bill Klubben
6:30 PM – Code Enforcement & Municipal Buildings – Bruce Buttrick
6:50 PM – Police – Chief Erin Commerford
7:15 PM – Fire & Rescue – Chief Dana Abbott, Asst. Chief Dick Pistey
7:45 PM – General Government – Jim Pitts and Bob Levan
Executive, Finance, Debt Service, Insurance, Information Systems, Budget Committee, Emergency Management
Other news:
Did you notice your tax bill went down? This is primarily due to the local school board tax decrease. The town (municipal) portion of your tax bill actually increased.
As for the new 2011 budget.
The School board will hold its second 2011 budget meeting this Friday at 8:30 am at the high school. The school committee is trying produce a no tax increase budget. This will require holding the line on expenses and addition reduction to offset the loss of state revenues. To add to the local problem the state has mandated expense increases in the form of automatic pay increases for union staff as a result of the new “Evergreen Statute”. This law was passed by the NH Senate & House and signed by the Governor. The state also increased our cost by increasing the local percentage need to fund the state employee retirement system.
The Selectman asked the town manager to present a zero expenses budget increase for the 2011 town budget. He handed in a 5% increase.
Unlike the school board the Select Board has yet to take the position of no tax increase.
The town budget will also see reductions in income that will require additional reductions in expenses if we are to hold the line on taxes this year.
I will keep you posted.
- Tom Keane
Kudos to Tom Keane !!
I ran into one of the budget committee members the other day and I guess that the CIP is nothing more than a town employee Christmas wish list I am told and is a joke at best!! What is with this?
This town budget needs to reflect the economy, town employees need to contribute more to their benefits….no matter what king pitts says or thinks!
I just lost 2 of my 4 weeks vacation, lost sick days, and now have to contribute 50% to my health insurance along with a reduction in my pay check. Why is government immune to the economy when it is us that support them???
The democrats, or I should say communists, want to share the wealth, why are they unwilling to share the expenses also?