Article 12
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Shall the Town vote to raise and appropriate as an operating budget, not
including appropriations by special warrant articles and other appropriations
voted separately, the amounts set forth on the budget posted with the warrant or
as amended by vote of the first session, for the purposes set forth herein,
totaling $9,916,234? Should this article be defeated, the default budget shall
be $9,567,713 which is the same as last year with certain adjustments required
by previous action of the Town or by law; or the governing body may hold one
special meeting in accordance with RSA 40:13, X and XVI, to take up the issue of
a revised operating budget only. ($9,992,620 approved by the Selectmen)
(Majority Vote Required) |
Status
|
| Originator |
Board of Selectmen |
| Board of Selectmen |
5-0-0 Recommended |
| Budget Committee |
11-0-0 Recommended |
Voter's Guide Explanation
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|
This Warrant provides the Board of Selectmen and Budget Committee
recommended town operating budget for 2007. Also included in compliance with
state regulations, is the compliant default budget, which would be in effect
should the electorate reject the recommended budget. Review of the
recommended 2007 budget versus the 2006 operating budget shows a net
increase of 5.7%. Included in this growth are approximately 2.0% of
contractual obligations resulting from existing contracts.
Continuing with the budget preparation initiatives implemented last year,
the Board of Selectmen required that all departments prepare their 2007
budgets using “Zero Based “budgeting. This approach required a completely
new generation of budgets, rather than using the previous year’s budget as a
starting point. Also, this year, unlike previous years, where departments
were allowed to establish their budgets based upon perceived needs, the
Board of Selectmen challenged each town department to become more efficient
by establishing a 5% growth objective. To their credit, each department
embraced the concept and provided budgets which, not only resulted in a met
objective, but withstood BOS and Budget Committee scrutiny with minimal
reductions. Any growth beyond the 5% objective is attributed to inclusion in
to the budget of life and safety items and compensated absence contingencies
previously addressed through separate warrant articles.
It is now intended to require “Zero Based” budgeting every 3 to 4 years
to eliminate the inherent growth that occurs when budgets are developed
using the past year’s budget as a baseline.
As review shows, the Board of Selectmen affected $69,247 in reductions
from the requested budgets, while the Budget Committee reduced the budget
further by $76,387 all of which represents a total of $145,634, or a
reduction of 1.5% from departmental requests.
Voter approval of the recommended budget will enable the town to provide
services and supplies consistent with voter expectations, as well as,
satisfy public safety considerations. |
Backup Data
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2007 |
| |
2006 |
2007 |
Requested |
BOS |
BOS |
BudCom |
BudCom |
|
Dept |
Operating |
Default |
Budget |
Recommended |
Reduction |
Recommend |
Reduction |
|
Assessor |
$91,157 |
$92,649 |
$94,052 |
$94,052 |
$0 |
$94,052 |
$0
|
|
Budget Committee |
$2,520 |
$2,520 |
$2,469 |
$2,469 |
$0 |
$2,469 |
$0
|
|
Cable Department |
$60,467 |
$66,709 |
$84,816 |
$78,460 |
($6,356) |
$78,460 |
$0
|
|
Cemetary |
$119,113 |
$120,625 |
$118,939 |
$119,224 |
$285 |
$118,939 |
($285) |
|
Conservation Committee |
$7,670 |
$7,670 |
$8,298 |
$9,698 |
$1,400 |
$8,298 |
($1,400) |
|
Debt Service Interest |
$302,240 |
$243,734 |
$238,735 |
$238,735 |
$0 |
$238,735 |
$0
|
|
Debt Service Principal |
$433,294 |
$440,746 |
$440,746 |
$440,746 |
$0 |
$440,746 |
$0
|
|
Elections |
$21,459 |
$20,200 |
$14,112 |
$14,112 |
$0 |
$14,112 |
$0
|
|
Emergency Management |
$952 |
$952 |
$184,177 |
$72,165 |
($112,012) |
$72,165 |
$0 |
|
Fire Department |
$1,256,278 |
$1,210,789 |
$1,314,173 |
$1,376,673 |
$62,500 |
$1,335,088 |
($41,585) |
|
Health Officer |
$4,250 |
$4,250 |
$4,250 |
$4,250 |
$0 |
$4,250 |
$0
|
|
Health Services |
$44,965
|
$44,965 |
$50,050 |
$50,050 |
$0 |
$50,050 |
$0
|
|
Highway Maintenance |
$840,310
|
$847,381 |
$877,670 |
$879,125 |
$1,455 |
$877,670 |
($1,455) |
|
Human Services |
$40,025
|
$40,025 |
$80,905 |
$80,905 |
$0 |
$80,905 |
$0
|
|
Insurance |
$1,231,706
|
$1,253,285 |
$1,248,075 |
$1,248,075 |
$0 |
$1,248,075 |
$0
|
|
Legal |
$85,000
|
$85,000 |
$90,000 |
$90,000 |
$0 |
$90,000 |
$0
|
|
Library |
$225,223
|
$225,223 |
$228,756 |
$228,812 |
$56 |
$228,756 |
($56) |
|
Parks & Recreation |
$364,406
|
$372,569 |
$232,296 |
$232,071 |
($225) |
$197,071 |
($35,000) |
|
Planning Dept |
$228,083
|
$239,470 |
$265,372 |
$267,872 |
$2,500 |
$265,372 |
($2,500) |
|
Police Department |
$2,089,038
|
$1,976,482 |
$2,076,149 |
$2,082,424 |
$6,275 |
$2,084,390 |
$1,966 |
|
Retirement |
$415,878
|
$609,898 |
$644,619 |
$644,619 |
$0 |
$644,619 |
$0
|
|
Selectmen Expenses |
$323,193
|
$447,578 |
$469,550 |
$469,750 |
$200 |
$469,550 |
($200) |
|
Senior Center |
$65,924 |
$71,717 |
$69,757 |
$68,932 |
($825) |
$68,060 |
($872) |
|
Town Buildings |
$384,588 |
$394,403 |
$480,473 |
$460,973 |
($19,500) |
$460,973 |
$0
|
|
Town Celebrations |
$8,500 |
$8,500 |
$9,550 |
$9,550 |
$0 |
$9,550 |
$0
|
|
Town Clerk |
$179,938
|
$180,137 |
$189,829 |
$184,829 |
($5,000) |
$189,829 |
$5,000 |
|
Transfer |
$548,639
|
$552,771 |
$536,169 |
$536,169 |
$0 |
$536,169 |
$0
|
|
Treasurer |
$7,415 |
$7,415 |
$7,830 |
$7,830 |
$0 |
$7,830 |
$0
|
|
Trust Funds |
$50 |
$50
|
$50
|
$50 |
$0 |
$50
|
$0
|
|
|
$9,382,281 |
$9,567,713 |
$10,061,865 |
$9,992,620 |
($69,247) |
$9,916,234 |
($76,387) |
| |
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2.0% |
7.2% |
6.5% |
|
5.7% |
-0.76% |
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