BY STEVEN ANDREWS

The operating budget facing voters will be $100,000 higher than the one initially proposed, thanks to an amendment which received overwhelming support by town employees and most of the crowd at the deliberative session of Town Meeting on Saturday, April 7.

Budget committee member Vincent Lembo proposed the amendment, which would make the proposed operating budget $15,101,889, with the extra money earmarked to reduce employees’ health insurance costs.

However, merely adding the money to the budget in Article 4 does not guarantee it will be used for that specific purpose. Since four new council members will be elected in May, the money could end up going to other needs.

Town Councilor Jason Hyde acknowledged that Hooksett is “locked into a bad contract” for health insurance, but is hopeful a new one can be negotiated that would lower costs in the future.

Of the roughly 50 attendants at Town Meeting, more than 60 percent supported the amendment to add $100,000 to the operating budget. If Article 4 fails, the default budget will be $14,820,388.

A proposal to add another $30,000 to the budget for legal fees by resident Mary Farwell failed. She was hoping to add the money so that the town’s boards could have more resources at their disposal when facing outside lawyers.

Hyde became concerned if the second amendment passed that the operating budget would become too high for voters to approve, since the council had tried specifically for a “zero increase” budget with just a few necessary increases.

“We’re making this a lot harder than it has to be,” he said. “We could be shooting ourselves in the foot.”

Article 14, which is to set aside money for non-union town employees, was the only other article which was amended. Originally, $45,000 in salaries and $15,000 in taxes and retirement was to be raised, but the new amounts will be $69,800 and $14,000, respectively.

The fund will allow department heads to distribute raises as they see fit, not with a standardized percent for all employees.

Hyde again disagreed with the amendment.

“The more you increase the numbers, the harder it will be to pass,” he said.

The only other article that caused any debate was Article 3, which would raise $1.5 million to upgrade the town’s wastewater treatment facility.

Resident Tom Young argued the entire town should not have to pay for the facility if only certain residents would receive benefits from it.

Several council members disagreed with that assessment, saying that doubling capacity at the facility will allow more businesses to be built.

“We will run into a situation where construction will have to stop, our septic system is at its limit,” said Councilor Dave Ross.

Even if Article 3 is approved by 60 percent of the voters, it will not go into effect if the $18 million Cabela’s bond is issued.

Voting takes place Tuesday, May 8, from 6 a.m. to 7 p.m., at Cawley Middle School.