COVID delays county budget review process

LACONIA — COVID precautions have caused a pair meetings this week dealing with the Belknap County budget to be put off for at least two weeks.

State Rep. Ray Howard, chair of the County Delegation's Executive Committee, said the meetings which had been planned for Monday and Tuesday evenings would need to be rescheduled, possibly to the week of Jan. 24.

The agenda for the meeting which had been scheduled for Monday included consideration of pay for nurses at the County Nursing Home.

The budget proposed by the county commissioners contains $7.6 million for nursing services, which accounts for 57% of the proposed overall nursing home budget of $13.4 million. County commissioners say it is critical for the nursing home’s future that wages for nursing staff be increased, and have included money to cover the cost of raises amounting to $3 to $5 a hour into their spending plan.

The commission’s budget recommendation is now in the hands of the five-member committee which reviews and amends the budget before passing on its recommendation to the full 18-member delegation which will set the budget.

Howard said he decided to cancel the meetings after learning that some lawmakers who attended last week's session of the Legislature have since tested positive for COVID.

"I was in contact with some of those people, so I felt it best to cancel the meetings. We don't want to bring this into the nursing home," Howard said.

The committee holds its meeting at the County Complex building of which the County Nursing Home is a part.

While Howard hoped that the committee might be able to meet on Jan. 25 and Jan. 26, he said the actual dates would depend on the availability of other committee members and others involved in the budget process.