By BOB MARTIN
Eagle Times Staff
NEWPORT, N.H. — Newport voters will be deciding on whether to support an operating budget with a 3% increase, and 30 warrant articles in total, and tonight will be their chance to discuss and amend any articles before voting on May 13.
Voters will gather at the LaValley Family Community Center for the first deliberative session, and Article 7 is to see if the town will vote on an operating budget of $11,127,745. If this is defeated the default budget of $10,610,792 will be adopted. The proposed budget is an increase of about 3.03%, or $327,745.
The tax rate of the operating budget is anticipated to be $7.23 per $1,000 of assessed value, and the default budget, which is the same amount as last year, is anticipated to have a $6.91 tax rate.
Last year the proposed budget of about $11.5 million was voted down at Town Meeting by a vote of 359-286, and the selectboard and Newport Budget Advisory Committee is hoping this year the residents will adhere to the recommendations.
Another big-ticket item on the list of articles is Article 8, which is for a three-year collective bargaining agreement with the police union. The first year would be $96,336 and have a tax impact of $0.13. It would then be $45,307 in 2026-2027 and $49,144 for 2027-2028.
Article 9 pertains to the public works union collective bargaining agreement, with the first-year amount of $73,463 presenting a tax impact of $.07. Year two would be $37,356 and year three is $25,838.
Article 10 asks voters to approve a long-term lease/purchase agreement for $375,000 over five years to buy a street sweeper and raise and appropriate the sum of $88,806 for the first year’s payment. This has a tax impact of $0.12 and needs a 60% ballot vote.
Article 11 asks the town to approve another long-term lease/purchase agreement, this time for $188,595 over seven years to pay for a sidewalk plowing machine. The article asks to raise and appropriate $33,841 for the first-year payment. This also requires a 60% vote.
Article 14 is to see if the town will raise and appropriate $5,000 to be added to the Information Technology Capital Reserve Fund previously established, which has a tax impact of $0.01. Article 16 is to establish a Building Maintenance Capital Reserve Fund for building repairs, mechanical system replacements and roof repairs and replacements for all town buildings, and to place $5,000 in the fund. This also has a tax impact of $0.01.
Article 16 is to see if the town will raise and appropriate $75,000 to be transferred to the Ambulance Capital Reserve Fund with a tax impact of $0.10. Article 17 asks for voter approval to transfer $10,000 to the Communications Systems Capital Reserve Fund with a tax impact of $0.02.
Article 18 is for $15,000 to be transferred to the Public Works Garage Capital Reserve Fund, with $5,000 coming from the school district. This would have a tax impact of $0.02. Article 19 is for voters to decide to put $10,000 into the Recreation Facilities Capital Reserve Fund with a tax impact of $0.02.
Article 20 is for $250,000 to be used for the installation of sidewalk, curbing, drainage and a retaining wall on Maple Street between Laurel Street and Parkview Street with a tax impact of $0.34.
Article 22 is to see if the town will use $200,000 to pave various roads, and Article 23 is to see if the town can use $200,000 to hire two full-time firefighters/EMTs. These would have tax impacts of $0.27 each.
Article 24 asks the town to vote to discontinue the Bald Mountain Tax Increment Finance District created in 2009, and the $400,000 in funds can go to the general fund as noted in Article 25.
Article 26 is for $10,000 to be used to support federal match requirements for the Sullivan County Transportation Program, operated by Southwestern Community Services. This is a petition article and has a tax impact of $0.02.
Article 27 is to see if the town will vote to raise and appropriate $6,730 for support of West Central Behavioral Health, which provided services to 193 residents including 83 children last year. This has a tax impact of $0.01.
There was also a petition article, Article 29, to see if the town will use $24,000 to fund the town’s cost of the Newport Town Times for 2025-2026. This has an estimated tax impact of $0.03.
The board of selectmen and the Budget Advisory Committee recommend these articles.
The deliberative session takes place tonight at 6 p.m. in the LaValley Family Community Center gymnasium, which is where voting also takes place on May 13 from 8 a.m. to 7 p.m.
