Londonderry voters go to the polls March 8 to cast their ballots in both the Town and School District Election (see related story pages 1 and 9).
If the Town’s entire FY17 Warrant were to pass as proposed, the tax rate impact would be $5.04 per thousand, which includes veterans’ exemptions, according to Finance Director Doug Smith.
The District’s FY17 Warrant as passed to the ballot by the voters at the Town’s Feb. 6 Deliberative Session is as follows:
• Article 1: To choose all necessary Town Officers for the ensuing year or until another is chosen or appointed and qualified.
• Article 2: To raise and appropriate $210,000 to be placed in the Town’s Expendable Maintenance Trust Fund, with funds to come from the June 30 Fund Balance. The article has no tax rate impact. The Council and Budget Committee voted 5-0 each to recommend the Article.
• Article 3: To raise and appropriate $29,591,028 as the Town’s operating budget, not including appropriations by special warrant articles and other appropriations voted separately. If the article is defeated, the default budget is $29,594,363. If passed, the article will require the Town to raise $17,924,670 in property taxes, resulting in a tax rate impact of $4.87 based upon projected assessed values. The Council and Budget Committee voted 5-0 each to recommend the Article.
• Article 4: To raise and appropriate $494,678 to fund Police Outside Details, to come from the Police Outside Detail Special Revenue Fund. The services are funded through user fees and the Article would have no tax rate impact. The Council and Budget Committee voted 5-0 each to recommend the Article.
• Article 5: To raise and appropriate $6,307,524 to defray the cost of construction, payment of the interest on any debt incurred, management, maintenance, operation and repair of constructed sewer systems. The fund will not accumulate from year to year and will not be commingled with town tax revenues, and the fund will be deemed part of the municipality’s general fund accumulated surplus, all in accordance with RSA 149-I. The services are funded through user fees and have no tax rate impact. The Council and Budget Committee voted 5-0 each to recommend the Article.
• Article 6: To raise and appropriate $38,000 to resurface the Town’s basketball and tennis courts on Nelson Road, with said funds to come from the June 30 unassigned fund balance. The Article would have no tax rate impact. The Council and Budget Committee voted 5-0 each to recommend the Article.
• Article 7: To raise and appropriate $650,000 to be placed in the Roadway Maintenance Expendable Trust Fund, with said funds to come from the June 30 Unassigned Fund Balance. The Article would have no tax rate impact. The Council and Budget Committee voted 5-0 each to recommend the Article.
• Article 8: To raise and appropriate $350,000 for improvements to the Londonderry Senior Center, with funds to come from the June 30 Unassigned Fund Balance. The Article has no tax rate impact. The Council and Budget Committee voted 5-0 each to recommend the Article.
• Article 9: To raise and appropriate $724,000 to be placed in the following capital reserve funds: Highway Trucks, $50,000; Highway Heavy Equipment, $30,000; Fire Equipment, $149,000; Fire Trucks, $380,000; Pillsbury Cemetery Expansion, $75,000; and GIS (Geographic Information Systems), $40,000. The funds are to come from the June 30 Undesignated Fund Balance and the Article would have no tax rate impact. The Council and Budget Committee voted 5-0 each to recommend the Article.
• Article 10: To raise and appropriate $350,000 to expand the Route 102 sewer system from Home Depot to the intersection of Mammoth Road, with those funds to come from the June 30 Unassigned Fund Balance. The Council and Budget Committee also voted 5-0 each to recommend the Article.
• Article 11: To, pursuant to the provisions of RSA 79-A:25 IV, place annually the first $100,000 from the Land Use Change Tax and 40 percent of the remainder of the revenues received from the Land Use Change Tax in the Conservation Fund and 60 percent of the remainder of the revenues in the General Fund. The Article would not change the formula being used to distribute Land Use Change Tax. The Town Council voted 3-2 to recommend the Article; the Budget Committee voted 5-0 to recommend it.
• Article 12: To authorize the transfer of all supervision, management duties and responsibilities of the land surrounding the Town Common and fronting on Mammoth Road and Pillsbury Road, which is sometimes referred to as the Town Forest, from the Conservation Commission to the Town Manager, with the advice and recommendations from the Historic District/Heritage Commission, Conservation Commission and Town Council. The Article has no tax rate impact. The Council and Budget Committee voted 5-0 each to recommend the Article.
• Article 13: To raise and appropriate $50,000 to establish an addiction and counseling program for families in need, with the funds to come from the June 30 Fund Balance and to be placed in the general fund. The Council and Budget Committee each recommended the Article with a 5-0 vote.
• Article 14: A citizen’s petition to raise and appropriate zero to reestablish the Family Mediation Program for Londonderry families in need. The article would result in a tax rate impact of $.01.
• Article 15: A citizen’s petition to recommend the Town Council propose an amendment to the Town Charter to set term limits on all non-land use boards, non binding on the Town Council. The Article has no tax rate impact. The Council voted against the Article 1-4.
• Articles 16-21: To authorize the Town Council to call one special meeting, at its option, to address cost items included in a collective bargaining agreement between the Town of Londonderry and Londonderry Administrative Executive Association-Public Safety, should a collective bargaining agreement be reached between the Town and Londonderry Administrative Executive Association-Public Safety. The Town Council and Budget Committee voted 5-0 to recommend the Articles.