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Finance director: Town in sound fiscal position through Dec. 31, 2024; solid‑waste costs remain a concern
Summary
Finance Director Paul Calabrio told the council the town had healthy reserves and unspent benefits accounts as of Dec. 31, 2024, but highlighted increasing solid‑waste costs and large encumbrances in highway spending; the council scheduled a third‑quarter presentation within two weeks.
Finance Director Paul Calabrio reported to the Merrimack Town Council on May 8 that the town’s second‑quarter financial snapshot (period ending Dec. 31, 2024) shows the town in generally good fiscal shape, but noted continuing pressure from solid‑waste disposal costs and a number of large encumbrances in public works. Calabrio said health insurance and New Hampshire retirement accounts each had roughly 53% of their budgets remaining as of Dec. 31, attributed largely to open positions in several departments. He told the council overtime overruns in the fire and police departments have been, or are being, addressed by staffing changes and that open positions are expected to offset overtime by year end. Key figures presented: - Health insurance: ~53% of budget remaining as of 12/31/2024. - New Hampshire retirement: ~53% remaining as of 12/31/2024. - Pooled cash: $1,290,000 on an $800,000 budget as of 12/31/2024; presenter noted this level is not expected to persist. - Solid waste: a $658,000 purchase order was shown on the slides; rising per‑ton costs for demo and recyclables continue to pressure the solid‑waste budget. - Highway: about $3,000,000 in purchase orders encumbered for the year; those encumbrances explain apparent overspending though the operating budget position remains manageable. Calabrio said welfare spending had been front‑loaded for health agencies (roughly $77,000 paid in July) and that welfare cases had declined versus the prior year, but he cautioned that seasonal patterns and tax/utility cycles could change that trend. Council discussion and next steps: Councilors asked follow‑ups about communications overtime (a temporary vacancy explained higher overtime) and sought a timely presentation of third‑quarter numbers. Calabrio and staff said they expect to present the third‑quarter report in about two weeks and will return to the regular quarterly schedule thereafter. No formal council action was taken; the presentation was informational.
