Budget Committee: November 2008 Archives
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By NORMA LOVE Associated Press Writer |
CONCORD, N.H. (AP) _ New Hampshire is cutting its budget by nearly another $60 million — reducing spending on everything from school aid construction to overtime.
Gov. John Lynch presented the areas to be cut Friday to the joint legislative Fiscal Committee, which approved them after a brief discussion. Lynch also recommended another $20 million in steps that will require legislative action when lawmakers convene next year.
Even with those steps, Lynch said another $75 million must be found to balance this year's budget.
"We are in the midst of an unprecedented global economic crisis," Lynch told the committee. "When we crafted the state budget 18 months ago, no one could have predicted the depths to which our nation's economy would sink."
Since February, Lynch and lawmakers have used a variety of spending cuts and revenue measures to deal with declining revenue. The latest cuts bring the total amount trimmed to about $150 million, roughly 5 percent of the $3.2 billion in spending from general tax sources in the two-year budget. The total budget is $10.3 billion when spending from federal and other sources is included.
Lynch characterized Friday's actions as another step and reiterated his pledge to balance the budget....
Note from the MCA: Why is it a good thing to have a watchdog group like the MCA in your town? Attendance at meetings, questions to our elected officials, letters to the editor, video taping and posting on this website many public meetings goes a long way to avoid surprises like a 20% tax hike.
By Amy Augustine Concord Monitor Staff
Boscawen is giving taxpayers more time to pay up after a big spike in the tax rate appeared in their November bills.
The overall tax rate is $23.58 per $1,000 of assessed property, up from $19.04 in 2007. The town portion of the rate jumped from $4.63 to $6.99. Tax bills were mailed this month, along with a letter explaining the increase from Town Administrator Michael Wright.
In the letter, Wright cited a 2007 "miscalculation" between the town and Department of Revenue, as well as a decrease in town revenue as reasons for the sharp increase. Wright said the town accounted for about $125,000 in state funds for a water and sewer project in its 2007 budget submission, which inflated the amount in the town's general fund.
That made last year's taxes lower than they should have been, he said. That money must be recouped this year.
This week selectmen agreed to give taxpayers a 90-day interest-free grace period if they pay 80 percent of their bill by the Dec. 5 due date. Wright said people should contact the town offices if they want to take advantage of the grace period. ..
Note from the MCA: At the 11/13/2008 Selectmen meeting, Ed Charest reported on a session he attended at the recent NH Local Government Center annual conference about the economy and how it impacts NH. Mr. Charest indicated that NH overall was one of four states that probably will weather the recession far better than the other 46 states. Hmmm... We respectfully disagree. There are many indicators in this state that point to very serious problems, such as 17% of NH single family homes having negative equity. As Betsey Patten state in the article "We all have to do some belt-tightening and take a deep breath." Read on below....
By DAN TUOHY
Thursday, Nov. 13, 2008
Brian J. Gottlob, of the Dover-based PolEcon Research, said towns and cities may see greater property tax delinquencies and a choke-hold on many smaller revenue sources, such as new car registrations. Towns and cities can better cope with the downturn than state government, but Gottlob said local leaders may not think so come budget season and its prickly political decisions.
"You'll probably suffer more of the angst," he said at the
Gottlob discussed the housing market,
The conference, "Local Government: Challenging Times, Creative Solutions," continues today and tomorrow at the Radisson Hotel Manchester. More than 650 municipal, school and county officials from around the state are attending. Topics include finance, land use, pension reform, and healthy, safe and secure school environments.
Local government officials are keenly aware of the challenges, said state Rep. Betsey Patten, R-Moultonborough, after listening to Gottlob's presentation. She sits on the House Municipal and County Government Committee and serves on her town's board of selectmen.
One of the first priorities, she said, is working to ensure the state does not shift any financial burdens to counties.
"We all have to do some belt-tightening and take a deep breath," Patten said.
While Gottlob says local government should not expect any help from the state, he anticipates the state looking to the federal government for financial assistance. Such a stimulus package for the states, now under discussion on Capitol Hill, could give
Gottlob expects six more months of declining state revenues, with a turnaround starting possibly in late spring of 2009.
Though he expressed an optimism about
Business access to bank credit has been hampered in
New unemployment claims are approaching levels of the last two recessions, and there appears to be no slowing in terms of home mortgage foreclosures in
He said 17 percent of
Compared to other states, there is not an especially high concentration of high-risk loans in
On the bright side, Gottlob said
"We're really on a precipice now," he said.
The Meredith News November 14, 2008
SARAH SCHMIDT
MOULTONBORO — Driven by an increase in the county portion, the projected tax rate for Moultonboro residents is on the rise, from $6.99 per $1,000 in 2007, to $7.65 in the current year. Town Administrator Carter Terenzini presented the tax rate to selectmen and told them that the rate had been approved by the New Hampshire Department of Revenue. The total amount raised is decided by the town’s local assessed valuation - down 2 percent from last year, from about $2,878,000,000 in 2007, to $2,827,646,039 this year. Though all portions of the tax rate are up this year, the most dramatic rise was a 22.78 percent increase in the county portion, from 79 cents to 99 cents.Terenzini said the county portion accounted for about a third of the increase. The town portion came in next, increasing from $2.07 to $2.32, a 12 percent increase. The local school portion increased from $2.01 to $2.16, a 7.46 percent increase, while the state portion of the school tax increased 4.25 percent, from $2.12 to $2.21. Despite these increases, Terenzini warned against people concluding that their taxes would automatically “go up 10 percent,” and said that taxes would vary depending on value and rate. He gave several examples of housing situations in Moultonboro, and how each would be affected by the tax rate. One house in the tenth percentile, assessed at $211,900 in 2007, with taxes of $1,481, had decreased in its assessment in 2008, bumping the taxes up to $1,593, Terenzini said, giving a local example. A house in a median percentile, at $477,000 in 2007, had its taxes rise from $3,335 to $3,481 in 2008, a rise of about 4.4 percent. Properties with a decrease in value of 8.6 percent tend to stay flat in relative dollars, Terenzini said. He also noted that the selectmen had chosen to use of the unreserved fund balance to help out the tax rate, leaving the amount at 7.5 percent. Selectman Chair Karel Crawford noted that the town was searching for ways to increase their efficiencies in order to bring down the budget. “We’ve looked at joining with the school to buy our supplies and oil,” said Crawford. “The department heads are working on their budgets right now.We’re going to look at conservation, and we want to keep the tax rate down.” Crawford also noted that, oddly, her own property’s assessed valuation had inexplicably gone up. Resident Al Hume spoke up about the budget, asking about capital expenditures, and whether the selectmen thought that they could bring the budget for capital expense items “as close to zero as possible.” Selectman Ed
Charest said that selectmen were also looking at the economic situation as an opportunity to “save us money in the long run,” noting that prices for equipment and supplies aren’t going down yet.
By
eplummer@citizen.com
November 8, 2008
MOULTONBOROUGH - Proposed changes to Moultonborough's transfer station will address ongoing safety issues and expansion of recycling space.
Members of the municipal needs committee appeared before the selectmen during Thursday night's meeting to report on the committee's findings. Town Administrator Carter Terenzini and the Board of Selectmen in late July asked the committee to offer possible solutions to safety concerns at the transfer station.
While there had not been a major incident at the station, Police Chief Scott Kinmond said there have been some worker injuries at the station, mostly involving handling glass.
Committee Chair Barbara Rando said four possible solutions were listed, ranging from large-scale to minimal.
The large-scale project called for a 120- by 100-foot addition to the existing building at the transfer station to satisfy all safety concerns and leave room for expansion.
A medium-scale project would involve no expansion of the facility, but would add four balers inside the building to allow workers to reduce their handling of recyclables by 60 percent. There would be an open bin for glass to free another container for recyclable plastics.
Currently residents go into the facility with their paper, which poses some safety risks. Under the medium plan, there would be a paper baler in the facility so residents will not bale their own paper. There also would be a Dutch door at the facility for cardboard. A pole barn also is proposed for the back to keep recyclables clean and dry.
A smaller solution would have just a glass pit and improvements in signs, which are being proposed with all the plans. The last option is to "do nothing" and go back to the joint loss management committee to come up with recommendations. Money for signs still would be requested and getting a perforator for the plant might also be recommended.
Another addition proposed is a "valet service" on weekends and holidays during the summer where part-time staff members will help move traffic. The valet service is proposed for most of the plans.
There is $900,000 in the capital reserve fund. Rando said there is enough money in the capital reserve fund to cover a project between the large and medium projects.
By
eplummer@citizen.com
November 8, 2008
MOULTONBOROUGH - Possible state funding to repair a troublesome Moultonborough intersection is being seen as an ideal opportunity by some residents and officials. Other officials, however, say other intersections are of greater priority and the state money is not necessarily guaranteed.
Town Administrator Carter Terenzini presented the findings of a design matrix for intersections on Route 25 during Thursday's selectmen's meeting.
Terenzini was a facilitator of a scoring team that included other town residents and officials along with engineer Robert Saunders and planner Mike Izard of the Lakes Region Planning Commission, analyzing intersections in the corridor and assigning scores for priority based on a series of criteria.
The factors included project cost, number of recorded accidents at each intersection, traffic volume, technical issues, and bonus considerations. Each intersection received a score based on each factor which were tallied up to determine priority.
Analysis of intersections went from the intersection of Route 109 to the
According to the report,
Residents of
Fox Hollow resident George Proctor said members of the steering committee were not aware of the matrix scoring.
"I'm astonished at the rating of Fox Hollow at the bottom of the list," Proctor said, citing accidents that have occurred at the intersection, including a double fatality.
Steering committee member Stewart Lamprey noted studies by the Lakes Region Planning Commission, the N.H. Department of Transportation, and the
Members of the steering committee have met with the selectmen, engineers, and DOT officials to discuss possible improvements, which have included approaching the state about getting an alternate right of way through an old salt shed owned by the Department of Transportation.
Lamprey said he, other members of the committee, and some members of the planning board had a meeting with DOT Commissioner George Campbell regarding the salt shed property. According to Lamprey,
Lamprey calculated that the town would have to provide around $94,500 in the next budget for the project to be taken care of in the spring.
"We went to
Terenzini, however, said Fox Hollow's score and ranking will remain the same, saying there have been more accidents and greater traffic volume at other intersections on the list.
"We're not saying that Fox Hollow in and of itself is not a dangerous intersection," Terenzini said. "We are putting it in terms of priority."
Terenzini said he and the selectmen had received a letter from
Board Chair Karel Crawford said the letter "didn't say when as far as when we would see the money."
"Commissioner Campbell said he would find the money somewhere if the town was willing," said Planning Board Chair Judy Ryerson. "If the town puts in $80,000 or $90,000 and the state doesn't come through, you don't do the project. If you don't put the money in, it definitely won't get done."
Selectman Ed Charest said it would be "good savings" if the town puts in the third while the state might put forward the rest. Charest and Selectman Joel Mudgett said the final result of putting up the money might be scratching one project off the list.
"As a selectperson, I have to look at the town as a whole, not just Fox Hollow," Crawford said. "All of these other roads have a serious problem, too."
Crawford did say the option sounded better than trying to get a right-of-way at the salt shed. The board decided by consensus to table the issue for consideration at next week's meeting.
