Residents urge Somersworth council to limit 2025 tax increase as reassessment raises bills

Residents filled the Somersworth council chamber on March 17 to press the council over the city budget and the impact of the recent property reassessment, urging limits on any tax-rate increase and asking the council to explore hiring freezes, delayed capital projects and other reductions.

Why it matters: The council must adopt a fiscal-year 2026 budget that reconciles the city manager’s proposed spending, school department bottom-line authority, and taxpayer capacity as many homeowners — including residents of manufactured-home parks — reported large assessment increases.

Several speakers said reassessment results have produced acute hardship. Jeff Bass of Ward 1 urged the council to weigh the “financial impact that the recent citywide reevaluation has had on the Somersworth taxpayers” and recommended “a 0 percent increase for the 2025 tax budget.” Another resident, speaking as a new homeowner, suggested the council publish clearer budget tradeoffs and offered a model — allowing voters to choose line items — used in other communities.

Small-business and nonprofit leaders also spoke. The chamber of commerce president described retooling the organization after funding denials and asked the council for support to preserve local programming; a chamber board member, Riley Bacon, backed that appeal. Business owner Dan Reynard described housing and workforce challenges and asked the city to consider modest changes to accessory-dwelling-unit allowances to enable employee housing.

Councilors laid out how the municipal budget process works and the immediate calendar. Councilor Witham gave a step-by-step summary: the city manager’s proposed budget (Ordinance 16-25) was introduced and will be the subject of a Saturday budget workshop and a public hearing; he noted the council must secure a supermajority to adopt the budget or the manager’s proposal becomes final under the charter. Mayor Matt Gurding and the city manager confirmed that a public hearing on the FY26 budget will be held on April 7 and the council scheduled a budget workshop for Saturday, April 5 (councilors also discussed a workshop start time of 08:30).

Councilors acknowledged the unique pressures of a reassessment year. Councilor Vincent argued for fiscal restraint and said he would not support giving the schools more than the tax-cap allowance; other councilors urged careful review of school spending and consideration of independent audits or reviews where appropriate. Councilor Goodwin, who recounted personal experience comparing taxes across states, urged residents to take concerns to state-level officials as well because New Hampshire’s heavy reliance on property taxes restricts local options.

Action taken at the meeting: The city manager’s proposed FY26 budget (Ordinance 16-25) was read by title and placed on the table for future amendment and debate; the council directed staff to publish the proposed budget materials and confirmed the April 7 public hearing and the April 5 workshop dates so residents may review and comment.