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Salem School Board opens public hearing on two citizen petitions proposing budget and tax caps for March warrant
Summary
The Salem School Board opened a public hearing Feb. 11 to read two citizen petitions seeking to add warrant articles to the March 11, 2025 town election ballot that would cap school budgets and limit annual tax growth.
The Salem School Board opened a public hearing at 7:01 p.m. on Feb. 11 to read two citizen petitions that seek to place warrant articles on the March 11, 2025 town election ballot.
The first petition, as read into the record, would "insert the following article on the warrant question to be voted upon at the town election annual meeting of 03/11/2025" and "implement a budget cap whereby the school board or budget committee shall not submit a recommended budget that is higher than 35,000 per pupil cost." The petition referenced "RSA 30 two:five B" in the reading as the statutory authority the petitioners cite.
The second petition, also read at the hearing, cited "RSA 32:5-b" and would "implement a tax cap where the governing body and budget committee shall not submit a recommended ... budget and all other warrant articles with a tax impact ... that increases the amount to be raised by local taxes by more than the annual percentage increase in the Northeast consumer price index plus 5% over the previous fiscal year." Both petitions were presented to the board as signed by the necessary citizens.
Nut graf: The petitions seek to constrain local school spending and annual tax growth via warrant articles for the March 11, 2025 town election; the board opened the hearing, read the petition language into the record and invited public comment.
No members of the public spoke during the hearing. Attorney Bernard Campbell moved to close the public hearing; Pamela Berry seconded. The board voted to close the hearing with an affirmative vote recorded and then proceeded to other agenda items. No board action on placing the petitions on the warrant was recorded in the meeting minutes beyond the reading and closing of the hearing.
Ending: The petition language and the cited RSA sections were read into the record; any further board action or formal placement of the articles on the warrant was not recorded in the Feb. 11 public minutes.
