Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Municipal Budget topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Merrimack council adopts $2.06 million in cuts to meet default budget after April vote
Summary
After residents voted to adopt the default budget, the Merrimack Town Council voted 6-0 to accept the town manager’s proposed $2,055,003.74 in reductions and rework the fiscal 2025–26 budget to the default appropriation of $40,808,242.
The Merrimack Town Council voted 6-0 on April 24 to adopt a package of budget adjustments proposed by the town manager that together reduce the council’s recommended 2025–26 appropriations by $2,055,003.74 and bring the town to the default budget of $40,808,242.
Town Manager Paul presented the proposed cuts after residents voted at the April 8 election to reject the council’s proposed budget and leave the town at the default level. "The magic number for everybody to remember tonight is $2,055,003.74," Paul said in presenting the changes.
The proposal grouped reductions into four categories: self-supporting funds, capital projects, personnel changes and other operating costs. Major elements include deferred capital work (including a postponement of community-development master-plan work and pavement projects), targeted reductions to part-time hours across multiple departments, delayed hires and a reorganization in community development. Paul said the adjustments were developed with department heads over several multi-day meetings and that the cuts were intended to preserve full-time positions where possible.
Specific items the town manager identified in discussion included flatlining the library’s budget, delaying purchase of certain highway and equipment items, reducing part-time and summer-help hours, delaying some paving and community-development work (a cited $1,013,623 capital postponement), and adjusting overtime and hiring schedules in the police and fire departments. Paul also described $292,604 of adjustments tied to the wastewater/user-fee fund, including reduced part-time hours and a proposal to pre-purchase bulking agent for composting to save costs next year. He said the town must also begin to pay debt-service tied to a roughly $32,000,000 wastewater treatment bond next year.
Council members asked clarifying questions on paving, crossing-guard reductions and how the cuts would be communicated to residents. Councilor Nancy Harrington and Councilor Peter both praised department heads’ work in producing the plan; Councilor Jennifer Paul asked whether cuts to parade bands or other events had been considered. Paul, the town manager, said some items that might appear to be low-cost ‘‘easy’’ cuts — such as Thursday evening hours at the transfer station or certain event line items — were weighed against service and safety consequences.
The council’s action directs staff to implement the listed adjustments and submit the revised appropriation package to the DRA for the next budget cycle. "I couldn't have done this without the support of my department heads," Paul said after the vote.
What the action means: the town will proceed in fiscal 2025–26 with the default appropriation of $40,808,242 and the line-item reductions described by the town manager. Council members and staff said they will prepare more public communications next fiscal year to explain where tax dollars are assigned and the trade-offs made in this round of cuts.
Ending: The council approved the town manager’s adjustments by voice vote, 6-0. Paul and department heads said they would return with any necessary follow-up changes if a line-item or capital situation requires further council action.
