Karen Burnett-Kurie: Time for Wolfeboro to stop operating on a default budget

To The Daily Sun,

Wolfeboro has had a default town budget for two years. The town used 2023-24 budget numbers through 2025-26. Note one-time expenses passed as warrant articles were still added to the budget. And legal commitments, e.g. debt service and contracts had to be covered. Given debt service and contracts account for 70% of the budget, cuts have been made to the remaining 30%.

A substantial portion of the budget cuts were absorbed by town staff. There have been nine to 10 jobs left open for months or the entire year. Existing staff have carried the extra workload. At one time the following positions were open: three firefighters, four police officers, a town planner, town engineer, and more. The tax collector’s office has been down a staff person resulting in reduced hours for a year.



Wolfeboro Community TV almost shut down fall 2025. Thankfully community members stepped up with funding for operations and equipment.

Other default budget impacts:

• Three police cruisers, 10-years-old (2016) and over 100,000 miles,
• $600,000 in accumulated road maintenance,
• Guardrails damaged two years ago have not been repaired,
• No road striping done,
• Tree trimming stopped in August, 
• The zero-funded technology department means a dysfunctional "new" website for months while a library staff person works a few hours a week sorting things out,
• Our finance software is old, no longer supported and takes an hour to produce a report,
• The $377,000 November health insurance bill, a 24% increase, involved contacting the state for permission to use unexpended funds,
• $3 million in equipment needs means our trackless mower is in the garage more than out, and more. 

There’s a ripple effect from each cut. Departments accomplish less, we lose ground, and it costs us more when done.

Karen Burnett-Kurie

Wolfeboro