Jeanie Forrester: Meredith Selectboard limits increases in budget presented to voters

The Jan. 27 Meredith Selectboard meeting focused on crafting the final recommended 2025 town budget for voters to consider and vote on at Town Meeting in March. The final proposed budget is $21 million, up 4.74% from the 2024 budget of $20.1 million.

The budget includes two major pieces: spending for capital improvement projects (recommended by the Capital Improvements Committee) and the municipal operating budget.

The CIP recommended $980,000 in spending for 2025 in various Expendable Trust Funds. Meredith funds ETFs every year in preparation for future larger expense items, e.g., a new fire truck, excavator, etc., to smooth out the tax rate. CIP members advised the selectboard they would be researching leasing as an option for equipment and vehicles to manage cash flow in the 2026 budget. After discussion with CIP members, the board made adjustments to the CIP recommended funds including adding two new ETFs (Community Infrastructure and Ambulance) without changing the total recommendation.

At a previous workshop the selectboard was presented with a total proposed budget of $22.4 million, (which included the $980,000 CIP recommendation) which the board could not support. Actual spending in 2024 was approximately $1 million below the $20.1 million budget. The selectboard directed the interim town manager and administrative services director to include every department in an exercise to level fund their budgets to reduce spending.

As a consequence, the 2025 budget is now $21 million and includes $1.35 million in adjustments and reductions from the initial request. The proposed budget will cause an increase of 4.74% over the 2024 appropriation, or an 11% increase when compared to actual spending of nearly $19 million.

Highlights on the budget:

• Three departments that saw the largest percentage increases: Fire Department, 39.5%; Parks & Recreation, 19.2%; and Police Department, 17.4%
• The Fire Department increase is primarily due to fully funding paid personnel (six firefighters, one part-time administrative assistant) at approximately $845,224
• Elimination of the excavator purchase, $325,000 expense
• Elimination of all out-of-state professional development
• Elimination of fire chief’s request to increase per diem wage to $7/hour
• Reduction of the operating budget by $314,500, with the largest reductions coming from Department of Public Works and Parks & Recreation (from the initial 2025 budget proposal)
• Reduction of $55,000 from the Vacation Buyback Program
• $980,000 from unexpended 2024 funds was used to fund CIP projects, leaving a balance unspent of approximately $176,000
• Two part-time positions were authorized: Highway Department receptionist and Parks & Recreation seasonal maintenance
• No outside agency requests were increased

At this writing, we have 13 warrant articles: Ten warrant articles have spending requests including two new ETFs for Ambulance and Community Infrastructure; one article is for $740,000 to bond inventory lead service lines work (New Hampshire Department of Environmental Services offers 71% principal forgiveness for this eligible project and will pay $525,400, with the remaining $214,600 drawn from the town’s water systems improvement trust); and two non-spending articles: Community Power and RSA-79E Community Revitalization Tax Incentive

The new municipal tax rate is $3.77. The tax rate was $3.35 in 2024, and will increase to $3.77, a $0.42 increase.

With an estimated increase of $0.42/$1,000, a home with a value of $400,000 would see an increase of approximately $168 for the 2025 tax year ($42/per $100,000 of valuation).

Note, county and school taxes will need to be included in the total tax rate.

There will be a public hearing on the budget Monday, Feb. 10 (snow date Tuesday, Feb. 11). The public is encouraged to attend.

•••

Jeanie Forrester is vice chair of the Meredith Selectboard.