Council moves citizen petition for townwide efficiency audit to deliberative session but does not recommend $50,000 cap

Petitioner Keith Hines read a warrant article asking the town to raise and appropriate up to $50,000 to hire an independent third party to perform a townwide operational and financial efficiency audit and publish the final report publicly. Hines said the audit would identify opportunities to improve effectiveness and save taxpayer money.

Councilors and staff questioned whether $50,000 would be enough for a comprehensive townwide audit. Paul said he had received ballpark estimates from audit firms in the $150,000 to $300,000 range for a municipality Merrimack's size and that a full review historically costs more than the petition cap. Councilors also raised legal questions about the article's townwide scope: if the language requires a townwide audit, the town might not be able to perform a meaningful audit for the capped amount and could be forced to return funds to taxpayers.

After discussion the council voted not to recommend the $50,000 figure but moved the petition forward to the deliberative session so voters can consider the measure and discuss scope and funding. Paul and others urged that if voters want a full, townwide review, the likely costs must be clear to voters before the final vote.

Next step: The petition will be heard at the deliberative session, where its dollar amount could be amended; the council asked staff to consult legal counsel and get vendor estimates to inform further discussion.