The 60 or so voters who showed up at the deliberative session of Hooksett Town Meeting on Saturday, April 5, sent all monetary warrant articles to the May 13 ballot virtually unchanged, except for a few clarifying amendments.

Articles including a $1.5 million sewer expansion bond, hiring two additional firefighters and establishing a public access television program absorbed the most discussion.

The town’s proposed operating budget, totaling $15,786,795, was sent to the ballot with little discussion. The proposed budget would comprise an estimated $6.60 per $1,000 of assessed value. If the proposed budget and all warrant articles are approved, it would result in a tax rate increase of $1 per $1,000 of assessed value, a tax bill increase of $300 on a $300,000 home.

According to Town Administrator David Jodoin, Hooksett’s taxes did not increase at all in 2007, and in 2006 only increased about 2 percent.

Sewer bond
The sewer bond, which represents an increase in taxes of 17 cents per $1,000 of assessed property value, would pay for the second phase of a $14 million construction project. The expansion would double the plant’s capacity, bringing it up to 2.2 million gallons per day.

The tax bill for a $300,000 home would increase by $51, should voters approve the bond.

The $1.5 million for phase two of the project was included as part of the Cabela’s package, but with the sporting goods giant delaying the construction of its Hooksett store after a drop in profits at the end of 2007, Sewer Commissioner Sid Baines said the expansion needs to happen sooner rather than later.

The total cost of phase two of the project amounts to about $8 million, and Baines said the bond would bring the total funds available for the construction to around $6 million.

“Even if the $1.5 million does pass, we’re still going to be about $700,000 short,” Baines said at the deliberative session. “If the money isn’t approved, we’ll upgrade as much as we can, but won’t look for any more capacity,” he said.

Currently, according to Baines, the plant has no more capacity to sell to commercial or residential developments, which would bring in more money for the project.

Baines added that Cabela’s representatives have assured the Sewer Commission that they would still be good for the $1.5 million after they’ve completed the planning process, but there’s no time line on when that would happen.

“It might not come in until 2012, when they break ground,” Baines said.

He added the Sewer Commission hopes to get to a point where the state would allow a 10 percent increase in the plant’s capacity so they could sell gallonage and make more money to complete the project.

Fire Department
Article 24 from the Fire Departments asks the town to approve $129,548 for the salaries, taxes and benefits to hire two firefighter/EMTs.

Approval of this article would reduce the Fire Department’s overtime budget by $99,672, setting the net cost to taxpayers at $29,876.

This article was amended at the deliberative session because the warrant listed a tax increase of 10 cents per $1,000 of assessed value, which was representative of the total $129,548. The tax information was changed to 2 cents per $1,000, which accurately reflects the $29,876 the taxpayers would actually spend.

The Town Council put its stamp of approval on the article, but the town’s Budget Committee voted 3-7 not to recommend the article.

“Right now, we don’t think people can afford this extra burden on their taxes,” said acting Budget Committee Chairman Tom Keach, adding the two new employees would add costs down the road for training and certifications.

Public access TV
Peter Farwell of the town’s newly formed Public Access Committee spoke to a citizen’s petitioned warrant article asking voters’ permission to earmark Comcast franchise fees to set up and maintain a public access channel.

“This is just the first step in getting public access. We just see this as an unlimited possibility,” Farwell said.

The Town Council already voted to add a line item for the public access station into the budget with an initial appropriation of $1, allowing the Budget Committee to add money into the budget for that purpose at a later date.

Currently, Jodoin said, about $100,000 per year in Comcast franchise fees goes into the town’s general fund to help offset taxes. The fee is about 3 percent of each Comcast bill.

The proposal has been a contentious issue in town, with some residents supporting the station, others wanting the money to continue going into the town coffers and still others saying the fees should be removed from the Comcast bills altogether.

Deputy Emergency Management Director Harold Murray spoke as a resident against the article at the deliberative session, saying he’d rather see the money go toward tax relief.

“This is being presented as no cost to the town. That couldn’t be further from the truth,” Murray said. “That hundred thousand has got to come from somewhere.”

He added public access channels often repeat content, run old programming and often have low viewership.

Resident Frank Gray agreed, saying the town and school appropriations plus the county and state school tax rates would result in an estimated tax increase of $3 per $1,000 of assessed value.

“I have no problem with public television. However, we have to look at priorities,” Gray said. “This is nice to have, but I don’t think we can afford it. It’s only a small amount, but by God we have to stop spending someplace.”

David Pearl, also involved in the public access committee, said there is a growing constituent of Hooksett residents – including himself – who would like to see the fees removed from their cable bills because it is an unfair tax, with Comcast users essentially contributing more money to offset taxes than the rest of the town’s residents.

Other articles
Other monetary warrant articles include the purchase of a new $55,000 backhoe/loader for the highway department; $113,975 in raises for non-union town employees; $33,000 for a traffic impact study to prioritize how impact fees will be spent on construction projects; $118,294 to hire two new highway workers; and $10,400 to hire a parttime Assistant Building/Zoning Inspector.

Residents will vote on the entire ballot on Tuesday, May 13, from 6 a.m. to 7 p.m., at Cawley Middle School.