Merrimack officials budget $200,000 from fund balance to start new master plan

Merrimack Town Council budget discussions on Jan. 8 focused in part on a $200,000 allocation in the Community Development budget to begin a new master plan.

Community Development Director Robert said the $200,000 line is for a full master plan and that the town will offset the cost with a $200,000 draw from fund balance, not property taxes. Robert said the town previously planned to split the cost across two years but that consultants now recommend budgeting $200,000 for the single effort because the start date is a year later than earlier planned.

Robert described the planned process: a community survey, repeated meetings with a consultant and the Planning Board, public informational and input sessions, and development of chapters the town chooses to include. "The master plan is the basis on which the zoning ordinance, site plan review regulations and subdivision regulations are written and revised," Robert said, adding the plan typically guides town decisions for 5 to 10 years.

Council members and staff noted the town has discussed creating a dedicated capital reserve or capital expenditure account to spread the cost of future revaluations and master plan work—rather than paying a large sum from fund balance every 10–12 years. Councilors also asked about timing; Robert said the town expects to initiate the plan in the fall and that the process would take a couple of years to complete.

The $200,000 allocation appears in the Community Development budget and is listed against an increase in available town fund balance to offset the expense. The council did not take a formal vote on the master plan amount during the Jan. 8 meeting; staff said they would present the full budget and revenue offsets in subsequent meetings.