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Brentwood Budget Committee warns town cannot sustain 2025 fund-balance offset at levels presented to voters
Summary
Committee members examined RSA rules on the 4% tax cap and the 10% limit on legislative appropriations, and recalculated tax projections; they concluded the $1.35 million fund-balance offset shown at the budget hearing would leave retained fund balance below DRA-recommended minimums.
Budget Committee members reviewed state statutes and town accounting estimates and concluded the fund-balance offset presented at the public budget hearing is likely larger than Brentwood can sustain without breaching recommended reserve levels.
Committee members cited RSA 32:5-b on the local tax cap and RSA 32:18 (the so-called 10% rule) on limits of appropriations. The committees analysis showed that warrant articles the legislative body earmarked to be paid from unreserved fund balance are included in the total appropriation base, and under RSA 32:5-b any fund balance used to reduce prior-year local taxes is added back into the tax-cap base for the following year.
The committees working model adjusted two inputs from the public budget presentation: assumed growth in…
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