By Alex Malm
During the Jan. 19 Londonderry Budget Committee meeting the Committee heard a number of different proposed warrant articles to decide whether or not they support them.
“We will be voting on anything that is monetary and the non monetary items we will abstain from voting,” said Budget Committee Chair Chad Franz.
Town Budget
The FY 23 budget was one of the warrant articles that the Committee discussed during the meeting.
The proposed budget this year is $38,996,68. If the warrant article is defeated, the default budget will be $39,069,640 which is the amount of the appropriations contained in the operating budget authorized for the previous fiscal year, with certain adjustments required by previous action of the Town or by law.
If passed,the Town will need to raise $21,124,977 in property taxes, resulting in a tax rate impact of $4.099 per $1000 in property value.
Expendable Maintenance Trust Fund
One of the warrant articles discussed was in regard to the Town raising and appropriating $180,000 to be placed in the Town’s Expendable Maintenance Trust Fund for the purpose of repairing and maintaining town facilities and infrastructure. $90,000 would come from the June 30 Unassigned Fund Balance.
If passed it would mean that the Town will have to raise $90,000 in property taxes, resulting in a tax rate impact of $0.017 next year.
The Budget Committee unanimously approved supporting the warrant article.
Roadway Maintenance Expendable Trust Fund
The Budget Committee discussed a proposed warrant article to see if voters will approve the Town raising and appropriating $650,000 to be placed in the Roadway Maintenance Expendable Trust Fund.
If approved, the article will require the Town to raise $650,000 in property taxes, resulting in a tax rate impact of $0.126 in FY 23.
The Committee unanimously approved supporting the warrant article.
Study Potential Changes to Public Water System
Voters in Town will be asked to vote to approve the Town raising and appropriating $100,000 to fund legal and consulting expenses related to the possible expansion of the existing public water system and/or the creation of a public water system owned by the Town.
“This funding is necessary to study the rates such a public water system would be able to offer, and to compare such rates with those offered by other utility providers operating in town,” the warrant article states. “These funds will also be used to study the potential costs of acquisition of existing utility infrastructure by the Town, potential costs of adding necessary infrastructure, potential expenses related to remediation of water contaminated by PFAS and other contaminants, and the potential costs to provide potable water to Londonderry’s residents at reasonable rates. This special warrant article will be a non-lapsing appropriation per RSA 32:7, VI and will not lapse until the earlier of the completion of its purpose or June 30, 2027.”
If approved the tax rate impact will be $0.019 in FY 23.
The Committee voted 6-1 in support of the warrant article.
Fire Department Equipment Capital Reserve Fund
The Budget Committee voted unanimously in favor of the Fire Department Equipment Capital Reserve Fund warrant article.
The warrant will ask voters to approve raising and appropriating $100,000 to be placed in the Fire Equipment capital reserve fund and to authorize the use of $50,000 from the June 30 Unassigned Fund Balance to go towards the appropriation.
If passed, the article will require the Town to raise $50,000 in property taxes, resulting in a tax rate impact of $0.010 in FY 23.
School District Lease
The Budget Committee voted unanimously in favor of supporting the warrant article related to authorizing the Town Council to execute a lease with the Londonderry School District where the Town would lease to the School District certain property adjacent to Town Hall for purposes of constructing new School District Offices, for a term of 30- 75 years, and for nominal rent.
It will also ask voters to approve raising and appropriating $310,000 for the Town to contribute to the construction of the new School District Offices and directly related expenses such as landscaping or reconfiguring the Town Hall complex.
The funds would come from the unassigned fund balance.
Restore Former School District Office Site
One of the proposed warrant articles heard by the Committee was in regards to the restoration of the former School district Office Site.
The warrant article will ask voters to restore the site of the former School District Offices at the Town Hall complex to a safe, landscaped, sightly condition if the Londonderry School District and the Town do not agree or are unable to return the District Offices to the Town Hall complex and further to authorize the $150,000 from the June 30 unassigned fund balance. This special warrant article will be a nonlapsing appropriation per RSA 32:7, VI and will not lapse until the completion of restoring the site of the former School District Offices at the Town Hall complex to a safe, landscaped, sightly condition or by June 30, 2025, whichever is sooner.
The Budget Committee unanimously approved supporting the warrant article.
Establish and Fund Information Technology Capital Reserve Fund
The Budget Committee unanimously approved supporting a warrant article which will ask voters to vote on whether or not they approve the Town establishing an “Information Technology Capital Reserve Fund under the provisions of RSA 35: 1 for the purpose of maintaining and upgrading the Town’s information technology needs and infrastructure, including cyber security.”
It will also ask voters to allow the Town to raise and appropriate $100,000 to be placed in the fund.
The tax rate impact will be $0.019 in FY23.
Ratifying a New Collective Bargaining Agreement Between International Association of Firefighters Local 3160 and the Town of Londonderry.
Voters at Town Meeting will be asked to vote to ratify a new collective bargaining agreement reached between the Town of Londonderry and the International Association of Firefighters Local 3160.
If approved the Town would need to raise an additional $86,623 in property taxes in 2023 resulting in a tax rate impact of $0.017 in FY23.
The Budget Committee voted in favor of supporting the warrant article.
Pickleball Engineering Work
One of the proposed warrant articles that was voted on was in regards to engineering fees for a conceptual design summary outline for pickleball courts, tentatively at 94 West Rd., or another suitable location.
If approved the Town would need to raise $6,000 in property taxes which would have an estimated tax rate impact of $0.001.
The Budget Committee voted 5-2 in support of the warrant article.