Hooksett voters will decide on May 13 whether to spend $15.7 million on the town operating budget, a $1.5 million sewer bond and whether to add two new firefighters to the Fire Department.

A citizen’s petition to establish a public access cable television station is also on the ballot.

It would use Comcast franchise fees the town currently collects and uses to offset taxes.

Voters will also choose two new town councilors. Incumbent Jason Hyde and newcomer Nancy VanScoy are vying for the District 2 Town Council seat.

Carl J. Hebert Sr. and Michael Pischetola are both challenging incumbent Stu Werksman for his councilor-at-large seat, also up for grabs this year.

Should voters pass all the warrant articles, the town’s portion of the tax rate would increase by about 99 cents to $7.19 per $1,000 of assessed property value, said Town Administrator David Jodoin. If voters said no to everything and left the town with a default budget, the rate would increase by about 25 cents to $6.45.

The polls will be open at Cawley Middle School on Tuesday, May 13, from 6 a.m. to 7 p.m.

Article 2 contains all of the proposed zoning amendments.

Amendment 13, intensely discussed by the Hooksett Planning Board, would add a development phasing ordinance to the current zoning regulations that is designed to sustain but control growth by compelling developers to outline specific phases of their development and limiting the number of units built.

The first money articles voters will see is a $1.5 million bond to complete the second phase of the town’s sewer plant expansion.

Since only $230,000 of the bond would be paid this year, Article 3 would increase the tax rate by 17 cents per $1,000 of assessed value, adding $51 to the tax bill for a $300,000 home.

Article 4 on the ballot contains the proposed 2008-09 town operating budget, amounting to $15,786,795, representing $6.60 per $1,000 of assessed value on the tax bill. For a home assessed at $300,000, the proposed budget would comprise $1,980 on the tax bill. If defeated, a default budget of $15,325,417 will result.

Article 24 asks voters to spend $129,548 to hire two new firefighters, which would decrease the overtime line by $99,762 and leave the taxpayers with a net cost of $29,876 for the coming year. The Highway Department also seeks two new hires in Article 21 to the tune of $118,294, an estimated 9 cent per $1,000 increase on the tax rate.

The long discussed and awaited public access question, asking to use the fees to set up the TV station or otherwise remove the fees from the Comcast bills, appears in Article 26.

Other monetary warrant articles include the purchase of a new $55,000 truck for the Highway Department; $113,975 in raises for non-union town employees; $33,000 for a study to prioritize how impact fees will be spent on construction projects; and $10,400 to hire a part-time Assistant Building/ Zoning Inspector.