Session Covered $16 Million in 90 Minutes

Feb. 2, 2019

Groundhog Day did not deter about 64 residents and a lot of town officials from attending this session of questions, motions, and modifications to budget items. Despite temps in the teens, cars filled the parking lot at AR Dupont School.

As people entered the school gym, they had to identify themselves to the checklist people and then could pick up printouts of the warrants. Several rows of folding metal chairs faced a long line of tables at which sat the town officials, the Budget Committee, the School Board, and the SAU officials. It's too bad that the audience was so meager since there are about 3000 registered voters (per the Town Clerk).

First the School Warrant

The session began at about 9:00 a.m. with Moderator Dennis Fowler reading the school warrant. A number of questions were posed about the $10.4 million school budget. It was a half hour later before the moderator took up the trust fund articles.

Budget Committee Chairman Keith Klawes saw a need to clarify each trust fund article. After each one was read he made a motion to add a statement to the text to say that it had zero effect on the tax rate. This seemed like a bit of overkill since each trust fund article already stated "with no amount to be raised from taxation." But each motion met with a unanimous voice vote of "Aye!" That's a "Yes" vote to anyone who hasn't hung out at a committee meeting.

A short recess ensued during which people had to re-identify themselves to the checklist people. "Hi, it's me again."

Then the Town Warrant

The town portion of the session began at about 10:00 am. Again, Mr. Fowler read each warrant article, but only a few people got up to ask a question or make a statement. After the reading of the sewer budget, Michael Frascinella asked the sewer dept. to tell people how much income they had gained from the septage haulers last year. Superintendent Jeff Backman replied, "about $1.8 million." This showed that the sewer dept. budget of $2.2 million is almost entirely paid by those septage haulers.

When it came time to read Article 11 on the new Economic Development Capital Reserve Fund, Town Administrator Derik Goodine handed a microphone to Mr. Frascinella, chairman of the EDC, and Mr. Fowler asked if he had anything to say.

Mr. Frascinella stood up and made an impassioned speech about the work of the EDC, how four new businesses had moved into town due to the business tax exemption that had been approved last March, how the committee had been working on many projects including one with vendors to design new welcome signs for the main town entrances, how they had hit upon the idea of linking the state park with the town by creating the slogan, "Allenstown: Home of Bear Brook State Park" and further impressing visitors by affixing cute and cuddly carved bear cubs to the signs, and how this fund would finally allow them to complete this important project and others.

When the articles on Parks & Recreation were read, Mr. Goodine spoke about the need to develop more recreational opportunities for the children but we needed this fund to purchase open space and build infrastructure for recreation.

A small number of questions were asked about the remaining warrant articles until finally at about 10:30 a.m., a motion to adjourned was approved.

What You Can Do

Make sure you are registered to vote, and then be sure and vote on March 12th.