BY STEPHEN BEALEResidents voting in the town election will be faced with decisions about whom to elect to various town offices, how the zoning ordinance should be amended, and how much the town should spend on basic services, such as fire and police. The election is Tuesday, March 10, from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m., at the Bartlett Elementary School for ...

BY STEPHEN BEALEThe Goffstown deliberative sessions of Town and School District Meeting next week are much more than just deliberation. Those meetings also make important decisions that affect how much money the town and school district can spend next year and the kinds of choices voters will have at the election in March. Voters who sit this one ...

BY STEPHEN BEALESelectmen say they are prepared to make painful cuts to the budget in order to save cash-strapped homeowners from having to pay more in taxes next year. Selectmen said they could achieve their goal between reductions in one-time capital expenses and operating on a default budget, which is what was authorized for the previous year, ...

BY STEPHEN BEALE The Goffstown School District is proposing a budget of $34.3 million for the next academic year. Just two weeks ago the district was eyeing $34.6 million. It has already decreased its estimate by about $370,000 because it has learned that its health insurance rates will go up by no more than 3.5 percent, instead of the 13.2 ...

BY STEPHEN BEALENearly $65.6 million of property may not be taxed in town this year because the owners receive charitable, religious or educational exemptions. Some selectmen are asking if all the charitable exemptions are justified. On Monday, Aug. 25, the Goffstown Board of Selectmen received a list of nearly 60 properties that receive ...

BY STEPHEN BEALEBedford is paying town and school employees more than its neighbor to the north, reflecting the economic inequities between the two communities. A comparison of the incomes of the top 25 earners among the four local governments using the most recent information shows that Bedford consistently pays higher salaries. Four public ...

BY STEPHEN BEALEGoffstown pays its school and town employees less than its neighbor to the south, reflecting the economic disparities between the two communities. A comparison of the incomes of the top 25 earners among the four local governments using the most recent information shows that Goffstown consistently has lower salaries than ...

By Stephen Beale GOFFSTOWN – The town deliberative session on Saturday, Feb. 2, cruised through several warrant articles, concentrating on a $2 million bond for land purchases and two petitioned articles on water rights and taxes. The $2 million bond is for the purchase of 27 acres of land at 70 Center St., owned by Joanna and Kilton ...

By Michelle Kim GOFFSTOWN – Police Chief Michael French recently announced he’ll be retiring from the post he’s held for nine years, ending a 34-year law enforcement career spent in Goffstown. On April 1, French will go back to being a regular Goffstown citizen and can look forward to nights uninterrupted by midnight ...

By Michelle Kim At recent public hearings, the Budget Committee presented its proposed town and school operating budgets and other warrant articles to be discussed at the upcoming February deliberative sessions of Town Meeting. The Jan. 9 public hearing for the town budget was sparsely attended by a few members of the public and heard ...