State budget has additional funds for municipalities, schools

LACONIA — The city will receive an additional $828,087 in state aid in the two-year state budget signed by Gov. Chris Sununu last week.

City Manager Scott Myers said the city will receive half that amount this year, about $414,000, and the remainder next year.

In anticipation of this money, the City Council amended the municipal budget before adoption in July, increasing revenue by $414,000 and adding an additional appropriation of $414,000 to a contingency account, Myers said.

It’s not clear yet if or what they will be spent on.

“The funds, when available, are subject to further action by the City Council,” Myers said. “Staff will have recommendations at the appropriate time but it will ultimately be a City Council decision.”

Meanwhile, the Laconia School District will get a $1.46 million stabilization grant from the state in the 2020 fiscal year under the new state budget, according to a list compiled by the New Hampshire Municipal Association.

Superintendent Steve Tucker said Wednesday the district was still awaiting the official notification about the size of its stabilization grant.

“It will be helpful,” he said. “We’ve faced some challenges in the past and significant cuts had to be made, even two years ago.

“We need to sit down at the table and see what we need to do to support education in Laconia. This just gives us another opportunity to evaluate what we are doing. Hopefully, we can come up with ideas to support schools and kids.”

Belmont will receive an additional $319,069 over two years, and it’s school district will get a $1.2 million stabilization grant for the 2020 fiscal year. Gilford will receive $172,961 and its school district, $363,818. Franklin will receive $458,621, and its school district, $4 million.

Tilton will receive $151,073, and its district, $566,664. Plymouth will receive $170,430, and its district, $1.7 million.

Not every local town and school district will come out ahead, however. While Meredith will receive $176,373, no stabilization grant is included for its school district.