LACONIA — With the Belknap County Convention and the Belknap County Commission at loggerheads over how to cut $1-million from the 2013 county budget, not for the first time eliminating the annual appropriation for the Lakes Region Mutual Fire Aid Association (LRMFAA), which amounts to $554,037 in 2013, could come into play.
The LRMFAA manages emergency communications and coordinates mutual assistance for 36 municipal fire departments operating across 1,500 square miles in all or part of five of the state's 10 counties. Never has the LRMFAA been an agency of county government. But, the LRMFAA it has long enjoyed a close relationship with Belknap County, where all eleven municipalities are among its members.
Both the convention and commission seek to reduce a projected 8.9-percent jump in the county tax burden, which would require trimming expenditures or boosts revenues by approximately $1-million. The commissioners proposed supplementing revenues with $2.1-million from the fund balance, $1,650,000 less than was used last year, but has indicated a willingness to raise that amount, noting that another $1-million would reduce the increase in the tax burden to two-percent.
Appropriations to fund statutory responsibilities and contractual obligations represent account for $23.8-million, or almost 90-percent, of the $26.8-million of proposed expenditures in the county budget. These include the sheriff's department, county jail, county attorney, registry of deeds, the nursing home and human services, or monthly payments for long-term care, as well as debt service.
Appropriations for administration, finance, maintenance and information technology services amount to $1.6-million.
Another $955,504 is appropriated to so-called "outside agencies," including the University of New Hampshire Cooperative Extension Service, Belknap County Conservation District , Belknap Economic Development Council, Genesis Behavioral Health, Belknap-Merrimack Community Action Program, Greater Lakes Child Advocacy Center and LRMFAA, which represents more than half the total appropriation.
Although there has been talk among the county commissioners about drawing on the "outside agencies," particularly the LRMFAA, to pare the budget, they have taken no steps in that direction. However, when County Administrator Debra Shackett noted that she had requests from "outside agencies" for first quarter payments, including LRMFAA, in January, the commission asked her to not to release any funding until the convention acts on the budget.
The LRMFAA is governed by a board of directors composed of the fire chiefs from each of the member municipalities, four of whom are elected to the executive committee. Each year the executive committee adopts a budget then distributes the cost among the member municipalities.
The LRMFAA calculates the shares of the 25 municipalities in Carroll, Grafton, Merrimack and Stafford counties and bills them directly according to a formula consisting of the sum of a fixed charge of 10-percent of the total assessment plus charges based on the municipalities' total property values and population.
However, Laconia and the 10 towns of Belknap County are treated differently. Instead of billing the eleven municipalities directly, their total share of the LRMFAA budget is included in the county budget and apportioned among them according solely to their share of the total assessed valuation of the county. This year the county's share of the LRMFAA operating budget is $554,037, an increase of 3.9-percent.
Although the county acts only as a collection agency, removing the appropriation for the LRMFAA from its budget would reduce its total appropriation by $554,037.
In 2006, when the LRMFAA requested a 9.9-percent increase in its budget, Representative Frank Tilton (R-Laconia), then as now a member of the county convention, proposed severing the county's relationship with the LRMFAA, but found scant support. Describing the process as "a classic case of the fox guarding the hen house," Tilton argued that since the county does not fund the LRMFAA, it "has no real function" in overseeing its budget, which he claimed lies "hidden" from property taxpayers.
However, his fellow lawmakers countered that without the county there would be no oversight of the LRMFAA's budget while local fire chiefs balked at billing the municipalities directly, which would compel them to run the gauntlet of local budget processes.
If the appropriation for the LRMFAA were stripped from the county budget, the eleven municipalities, like the other 25 members of the association, would be billed directly. Altogether the municipalities would pay the same amount — $554,037 in 2013 — but the shares would be distributed differently.
Billed through the county tax, Alton would pay $81,048, Barnstead $27,350, Belmont $34,381, Center Harbor $22,457, Gilford $88,631, Gilmanton $25,680, Laconia $106,731, Meredith $100,545, New Hampton $17,528, Sanbornton $22,072 and Tilton $27,614.
Billed directly, according to the formula applied by the LRMFAA, four towns would pay less; Alton would save $18,922, Center Harbor $4,721, Gilford $14,326 and Meredith $25,445. The other seven would pay more: Barnstead $9,206, Belmont $18,290, Gilmanton $6,237, Laconia $17,606, New Hampton $3,372, Sanbornton $4,527 and Tilton $4,176.

GILFORD – Four days after a chimney fire nearly destroyed her home, the 17-year-old girl who alerted her parents to the fire was given a surprise birthday party at the Marriott TownPlace Suites Hotel last night.
Shania Mulley was joined by her friends and family for pizza, snacks, and a swim in the pool as a surprise for her 17th birthday.
Shania, who was speechless with surprise when she was lured to the lobby by her mother to ostensibly get more towels, said she was really grateful to all the support she and her family have gotten from the local community and her friends who joined her last night.
It was just before 11 a.m. last Friday night when Shania was awakened by what she thought was a squirrel or some other kind of animal in the attic.
She woke her parents, who went into the living room and realized the fire in the wood stove had burned through the chimney and the attic was on fire.
The family was able to safely leave the home and call 9-1-1, but there is about $80,000 of damage to the structure that Becky Mulley said could take months to repair.
The family was taken in at the Marriott and Becky Mulley, Shania's mother, said the staff and management there have "been absolutely wonderful." The hotel staff gave the family the use of the pool for Shania's party and put a "Happy Birthday Shania" sign in the lobby.
Robert Mulley, Shania's father, said he and his family have been treated wonderfully by the entire community. "I think at least 20 people have reached out and offered us a place to live," he said.
Becky Mulley also wanted to thank the community — especially the Marriott and the Belmont Fire Department, to whom she brought cookies yesterday. "Even the insurance company has been wonderful," Becky Mulley said.
The Mulleys will be staying at the Marriott until the 28th of January when they will begin renting a home in Gunstock Acres in Gilford
Shania, a junior at Belmont High School, has her drivers license and will be able to drive herself to school.
"She is my angel," said Becky Mulley.

POTOMOC FALLS, Virginia — Myrtle Clement McIntyre died Jan. 13 at age 95 at the Johnson Center of Falcon's Landing Retirement Center in Potomac Falls, VA. She was the widow of U.S. Senator Thomas J. McIntyre, who died in 1992. They were married for 51 years. McIntyre was in failing health following a recent fall and emergency hip surgery.
Survivors include a daughter, Martha Grey McIntyre of Gilford; a grandson, Samuel McIntyre-Sonneborn of San Rafael, CA; two sisters, Eileen Clement Novicki and Irene Clement Richardson of the Tequesta, FL area.
She was predeceased by her sister Kathleen Clement Williams; two brothers, Norman and Ralph Clement; and, two half-siblings, Frank Riley and Gladys Grad.
Born June 7, 1917 in Wakefield, NH to Ralph and Catherine Hanagan Clement, she was educated in Laconia-area public schools and went to work before graduation. On May 3, 1941 she married Thomas McIntyre. The future senator soon became a decorated World War II Army veteran and was elected mayor of Laconia in 1949.
McIntyre was an active first lady of Laconia. In addition to her responsibilities as a homemaker and mother, she also represented a public relations firm and worked in civic and political causes. She was active in promotional work for the New Hampshire Heart Association and the New Hampshire Library Association and helped organize and firmly establish the New Hampshire Friends of the Library.
McIntyre dedicated many hours to working with special needs children at the Laconia State School. She served as chair of the American Rescue League of New Hampshire and personally sponsored four refugee families of the Hungarian Rebellion of 1956.
A political activist, she joined her husband on the campaign trail in his unsuccessful bid for the U.S. House in 1954. She served as Democratic National Committeewoman from New Hampshire 1952 to 1956 and was a national representative for the Volunteers for Stevenson and Kefauver. The Senator and Mrs. McIntyre were active in the development of the nascent Democratic Party in New Hampshire.
In 1962, McIntyre joined her husband in crisscrossing the then Republican-dominated state of New Hampshire in support of Thomas McIntyre's successful campaign for Senate to fill the unexpired term of the late Republican Sen. Styles Bridges.
In a September 1971 article, Senator McIntyre said, "My wife is my eyes and ears on a number of issues. She is my sounding board, and the source of the most insightful political advice."
Mrs. McIntyre called herself "Tom's helper." She said, "I have always felt that the best way to achieve positive, effective and lasting political results is to work within the established system. Fragmentary efforts at best produce fragmentary results."
Once she moved to Washington, D.C., McIntyre remained active in political and volunteer activities. She was known for taking calls from New Hampshire constituents at their D.C. home because the senator uniquely listed his phone number in the public directory. She was a key strategic advisor during his Senate tenure and his re-election campaigns, partnering with him throughout his career to build the Democratic Party in New Hampshire.
McIntyre was a member of the Committee of Democratic Women's Clubs and active in the International Neighbors Club, an organization promoting international good will. She also served as president of the Democratic Congressional Wives Forum. She was an enthusiastic leader of "Operation Government," an effort that promoted 40 half-hour documentaries about the three branches of the Federal Government. While residing in Washington, she visited New Hampshire dozens of times a year.
The McIntyres returned to the campaign trail in 1966 when the senator became the first New Hampshire Democrat ever re-elected to the Senate with his defeat of retired Air Force General Harrison Thyng and again in 1972, when he defeated former Gov. Wesley Powell. McIntyre lost a close election in 1978 following his controversial vote for the Panama Canal Treaties, which was decried by his conservative opponent. Mrs. McIntyre was a tireless campaigner on behalf of her husband.
Following the 1978 election, the McIntyres built a home in Rye, N.H., when the senator was of counsel to the law firm of Sullivan and Worcester and served on several national advisory boards. The couple also lived in Tequesta, Florida until the Senator's death in 1992 at age 77.
Following the Senator's death, Mrs. McIntyre resided in the Falcon's Landing Retirement Community in Sterling, Virginia, in suburban Washington, D.C. She remained close to staff members who worked for Senator McIntyre. During the initial Obama campaign, Mrs. McIntyre was active in promoting absentee ballot voting by retirement home residents and staff. She remained a dedicated Democrat her entire life.
Per her wishes, there will be no calling hours, and interment in Laconia will be held at a later date. The Adams Green Funeral Home (703-437-1764) in Herndon, Virginia is assisting the family.
(This article was written by Ed Dooley, Ellen Kelley, and Tony Mazzaschi, all former members of Sen. Thomas McIntyre's U.S. Senate staff.)