Hooksett Town Council opposes House Bill 495 that would add year-over-year breakdowns to tax bills

The Hooksett Town Council on Feb. 26 voted to ask the town administrator to send a letter opposing House Bill 495, a proposed state bill that would require municipalities to add year‑over‑year tax‑rate change calculations to property tax bills.

Town tax collector Kim told the council she had been notified of the bill that week and described several uncertainties in the draft language: the bill does not specify how many years to compare, whether the change should be shown as a percentage or dollar amount, or the exact format required. Kim said the town already provides tax‑rate information on its website and in a newsletter that accompanies tax bills and expressed concern that the existing printed bill is already “very full” and that adding the new information could confuse residents.

Town Administrator Andre Garen and multiple councilors pressed the fiscal and technical concerns. Garen and Kim said they had not yet asked the town’s tax software vendor whether the bill’s formatting requirement could be accommodated; Garen warned that an unanticipated software or printing change could carry an initial implementation cost beyond the legislative budget assistant’s estimate. The draft bill’s fiscal note, Kim said, included a Legislative Budget Assistant estimate that the bill would cost less than $10,000 in each fiscal year 2025–2028; she and councilors said they doubted that estimate until towns check software and printing logistics.

Councilors discussed alternatives to putting the information directly on the face of the tax bill, including adding a chart to the newsletter that accompanies the bill, making the historical tax and rate data more prominent on the town website, sending email alerts, or using the town and library Facebook pages. Several councilors noted the town’s current capacity to produce historical tax spreadsheets and an infographic prepared by the finance director during budget time.

After discussion, the council approved a motion directing the town administrator to send a letter to the Municipal and County Government Committee and the town’s legislative delegation stating that Hooksett does not support House Bill 495 as drafted and explaining the town’s position. The motion was made on the record, seconded, and carried by voice vote; the meeting minutes record ayes and no roll-call tally.

The council discussed timing concerns in the bill draft; Kim said the proposed implementation date (January 2026) was fast and might not allow towns time to budget for software or printing changes. Councilors asked that the letter to the committee include a request for a longer rollout period or funding for implementation if the Legislature moves forward.

The council also noted the bill’s named sponsors, as listed on the draft: Representative Barry (Hillsborough), Representative Alexander Jr. (Hillsborough), Representative Osborne (Rockingham), Representative Sweeney (Rockingham) and Representative Barrington (Stratford).