Laconia council raises disabled veterans property tax credit to $4,000

The Laconia City Council on Sept. 8 voted unanimously to amend and adopt Resolution 2025‑28, raising the city property tax credit for veterans with a service‑connected total disability to $4,000, effective April 1, 2026.

Councilors said the change responds to a recent state law change that prevents eligible veterans from “stacking” two separate credits. City staff told the council their intent was to preserve the total local benefit veterans currently receive rather than reduce it under the new state rule.

City Manager Kirk Biotti explained the effect of the state law and the city’s proposed response: “With the new house bill that just passed, they can’t do both. So they’re going to get one or the other.” Biotti said the council had initially proposed raising the local credit to $3,700 for 2026 but that council members later agreed to move to the state maximum of $4,000 to avoid reducing veterans’ benefits.

Councilor Cheney introduced an amendment to raise the local credit from the proposed $3,700 to the state maximum of $4,000; the amendment was seconded and passed by the council. The council then voted to approve the resolution as amended. The council and staff discussed the expected budget impact: councilors estimated roughly 100 property owners would be directly affected and put the approximate annual cost to the city at about $30,000; staff said that amount had been budgeted for the coming fiscal year.

Assistant Assessor Tarbeck was present to answer technical questions about eligibility and administration. No members of the public spoke at the council’s public hearing on the item.

The council recorded the change to take effect April 1, 2026. Council members said the action was intended to ensure that veterans with total service‑connected disability do not lose money because of the new state restriction on stacking credits.