NHMA director warns statewide zoning mandates, budget cuts could shift costs to Bedford and other towns

Margaret Burns, executive director of the New Hampshire Municipal Association, briefed the Bedford Town Council on state-level proposals she said are likely to affect local government budgets and authority.

Burns told the council that NHMA members have adopted a policy opposing statewide zoning mandates and that this year lawmakers have introduced about 50 individual zoning mandate proposals. “Under NHMA’s member adopted policies, we oppose all zoning mandates,” she said. She said many of the bills are moving rapidly, often being placed on consent calendars with little floor debate.

Why it matters: Burns said fast-moving statewide zoning mandates could remove local decision-making power and create conflicting requirements that are difficult for towns to implement. She added that unclear or internally inconsistent language in bills increases the risk of litigation, which would impose costs on municipalities and ultimately on local taxpayers.

Details from the presentation and council discussion

- Study commission: Burns…