Strafford County commissioners propose $89.0 million 2025 budget; delegation schedules subcommittee reviews

Commissioner Derek Zegleris, speaking to the Strafford County Delegation, presented the county commissioners' proposed 2025 operating budget and said the plan proposes $89,045,019 in operating expenses with offsetting revenues of $47,061,841 and "The proposed amount to be raised by property taxes in this document is $41,983,178, roughly a increase of, 4.18 percent, over the calendar year plan of 2024," Zegleris said.

The county delegation opened a public hearing on the budget, approved minutes from two prior delegation meetings and set a compact schedule of subcommittee reviews intended to produce subcommittee reports before the delegation's March meeting, when delegates will vote on the commissioners' proposed budget.

Why it matters: the proposal would increase the amount to be raised from property taxes by about 4.18 percent compared with the 2024 plan and includes wage adjustments and revenue strategies intended to address staffing shortages at county facilities while remaining under city tax-cap calculations in the county's three cities.

Details of the proposal and countywide issues Commissioner Zegleris told delegates the budget reflects efforts to respond to a tight labor market and persistent staffing shortages at county facilities, including the House of Corrections. He said the county has adjusted pay scales at the House of Corrections to reduce overtime and turnover and is pursuing federal partnerships and higher boarding rates for out-of-jurisdiction inmates to offset the additional wage costs.

Zegleris told the delegation the county faces the same recruitment pressures found across law enforcement and corrections and said the House of Corrections is regularly inspected by federal partners. He said the county is "aggressively pursuing additional opportunities" with federal partners and noted the facility receives multiple inspections annually by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and the U.S. Marshals Service.

On long-term care, Zegleris said Riverside Rest Home recently earned a five-star rating from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), a rating given to roughly 10 percent of nursing homes nationally, and praised staff for their work despite challenges with the physical plant.

Tax-cap and inflation context Delegation discussion referenced the methodology some municipalities use to compute local tax caps, which blend the consumer price index and growth in the tax base. Zegleris noted the Northeast 12-month CPI figure through November 2024 was about 3.5 percent and discussed how the local cap calculations differ across communities; he said the county's proposed budget remains below the caps used by the county's three cities (Dover, Rochester and Sunshine).

Subcommittee schedule and process The delegation split budget review into four subcommittee categories to give delegates a chance to examine specific departments and programs in detail. The chair laid out an accelerated schedule intended to finish subcommittee work by Feb. 14 so chairs can prepare reports in time for the executive committee meeting on March 7 and the delegation's final budget vote on March 19. An orientation for new delegates, including optional field visits to the county corrections facility and Riverside Rest Home, was scheduled for a Monday noon session.

Delegates said the compressed schedule could make it easier for members from across the county to attend multiple subcommittee meetings in a single day. Representative Joanna Smith described the compact schedule as an opportunity for broader participation.

Votes at a glance - Motion to open the public hearing on the proposed 2025 county budget: moved by Representative Paul; seconded by Representative Howard; outcome: passed by voice vote (public hearing held and then closed by the chair). - Approval of minutes, Oct. 20, 2024: moved by Representative Miller; seconded by Representative Howard; outcome: approved by voice vote, unanimous. - Approval of minutes, Dec. 11, 2024: moved by Representative Miller; seconded by Representative Howard; outcome: approved by voice vote, unanimous. - Motion to adjourn: moved by Representative Wall; seconded by Representative Quebec; outcome: passed by voice vote.

What delegates said about next steps Delegation leadership emphasized that subcommittee reports and public input will inform conversations with county commissioners before the March 19 delegation vote. The delegation will review the commissioners' proposed budget line-by-line at the March 7 executive committee meeting and again at the full delegation meeting on March 19.

Ending: The delegation did not take a final vote on the budget at this meeting; the schedule sets a sequence of subcommittee reviews, an executive committee review on March 7 and a full-delegation vote planned for March 19, when delegates will decide whether to accept, modify or reject the commissioners' proposed 2025 budget.