Gilmanton selectmen sent multiple articles they weren't in favor of before voters

Published Date Written by Gail Ober

GILMANTON — Despite the unorthodox method used by the selectmen to present the warrant articles to voters at the town's first SB-2 Deliberation Session of Town Meeting, Chair Rachel Hatch said she thought the session was a success.
She said all of the capital fund warrant articles that were proposed this year were placed on the warrant, whether or not the selectmen recommended funding them.
Typically, a Board of Selectmen determines which articles will appear on the warrant, unless it is a petitioned warrant article, and if the board doesn't want the expenditure, it doesn't include it in the warrant. After being place on a warrant, the Budget Committee votes on whether or not it supports passage.
Hatch said this year selectmen made the decision to put all of the capital requests on the warrant and add the amount the selectmen wanted and the amount the Budget Committee wanted to the bottom of each question.
"We left it up to the people to choose," Hatch said, noting she thought the board did the right thing.
Warrant articles that were changed at deliberative session included lowering the selectman's recommended $5,000 for the Non-Capital Reserve Town Building Repair and Maintenance Fund to the Budget Committee's recommended $800.
Selectmen also recommended $1,500 for a non-capital reserve paramedic intercept fund and the voters chose to amend it to zero, consistent with the Budget Committee's recommendation.
Voters also voted not to fund a non-capital reserve fund for police vehicle maintenance although selectmen recommended $5,000. The Budget Committee recommend zero.
On the reverse side, selectmen didn't recommend $44,000 for a Capital Reserve Ambulance Replacement Fund, the Budget Committee recommend $40,000 and the voters chose to amend it to $22,000.
Selectmen also didn't recommend putting $87,400 into a Capital Reserve Fire Engine Fund and the Budget Committee recommended $85,000. Voters recommended $85,000 going to the voters in March.
Neither the selectmen nor the Budget Committee recommended $2,000 for the Capital Reserve Town Septic System Fund but it appeared at deliberative session where the voters agreed to zero.
Four thousand dollars for the Capital Town Roofs Fund was also not recommended by selectmen or the Budget Committee and those at Deliberative session agreed to zero it.
While the selectmen didn't recommend any of the $64,040 request for the Capital Reserve Highway Fund, the Budget Committee recommended $30,000 and voters allowed $30,000 to go to the ballot.
An article asking for $6,867 for the Capital Reserve recycling fund didn't get the support of either selectmen, the Budget Committee or those at deliberative session and it was reduced to zero.
Neither selectmen nor the Budget Committee supported putting $29,000 in the Capital Reserve Police Cruiser Fund. The voters amended the article to zero.
There was also no support for putting a request for $8,000 for a Capital Reserve Forestry Vehicle and the article was amended to zero.
Most interesting, a petitioned warrant article asking for $45,000 for the Gilmanton Year-Round Library, which according to SB-2 or the Official Budget Act cannot be amended by deliberative session, was debated but left intact to go before voters in March.