On Dec. 23 the Swanzey Board of Selectmen continued a line-by-line review of warrant articles for the 2026 town meeting. Staff read and discussed funding proposals for capital projects and special warrant articles and flagged several items that need confirmation with counsel or additional administrative follow-up.

Notable items reviewed:

- Article for a new Public Works building (draft Article 4): staff confirmed the project description for a building on town-owned property at 98 Pine Street and clarified proposed financing: about $150,000 from a Public Works facility capital reserve (CIP designation) and $1,050,000 to be raised by bond or notes under the municipal finance act (the total article figure was reviewed and confirmed during the reading process). Staff asked the board for guidance on how much to draw from reserves and how much to bond.

- Capital reserve and expendable trust allocations: staff read the CIP-recommended allocations (revaluations and updates, town-hall repairs, emergency communications, fire equipment and ponds, police cruiser replacement, recycling center improvements, covered-bridges monitoring cameras, road rehab and reconstruction, and other items). Several line items were noted for further numeric confirmation with CIP and finance.

- Ambulance expendable trust: an article to raise $100,000 for the ambulance expendable trust was discussed; board members debated lowering that amount as a placeholder (35–40k) to smooth budgetary impact and asked staff to model future-year impacts and the timing of the full contractual increase.

- Tax Increment Financing (TIF) district closure and bond-authority rescission language: staff flagged legal requirements for amending the Swansea Revenue Development District plan (RSA 162-k) and asked the town attorney to review language about rescinding previously-authorized bond amounts.

- Elderly exemption and veteran credit adjustments: staff read proposed increases to elderly exemptions and adjustments of income thresholds, and a proposal to raise an optional service-connected disability credit to allow both credits to be received in combination; staff will confirm required explanatory language and any tax-rate-impact statement with counsel and the Department of Revenue Administration before printing the warrant.

- Petition warrant articles: two citizen petitions related to the Christian Hill Road / Veil Trail bridge were noted (one to delay removal and appoint a study committee, another to preserve the historic bridge in its current location). Staff cautioned that petition wording referencing villages or an historic district (e.g., "West Swanzey Historic District") needs legal review because the town does not formally designate villages or a town historic district; the town attorney will advise on permissible ballot language.

The board instructed staff to confirm figures, secure legal review where required, and include explanatory language in the voter guide for significant financial-impact articles. Several items will require public hearings before the vote per statutory timelines.