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County approves lease amendment with New Hampshire Superior Court
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Summary
The Strafford County commissioners unanimously approved a lease amendment that keeps the state Superior Court in county space with a 3% annual rent increase for upper-floor offices and a separate arrangement for probate court that runs until the court relocates.
The Strafford County Board of Commissioners voted unanimously to approve a lease amendment with the New Hampshire Superior Court that extends the county’s rental arrangement and includes a 3% annual rent increase beginning July 1 for the upstairs offices.
The approval keeps the superior court in county-leased space for the near term while the state builds a new district court in Rochester. County staff said the probate court lease will remain in place until the probate operation moves, a transition staff currently project for October or, more likely, November depending on construction progress.
Ray Bauer, the county staff member who led negotiations, told commissioners that the amendment was negotiated to preserve the relationship with the court while limiting revenue loss: “There’ll be a 3% increase, which will start July 1 and be for the upstairs for 4 years at an additional 3% a year,” he said. Bauer added that moving probate records and operations is a significant logistical undertaking.
The chair said the county’s priority was to keep the court’s business in the building where possible, but flagged public convenience as a concern: commissioners noted that when probate moves to Rochester, members of the public who previously could transact business across the hall will have farther to travel to register property or access probate services.
The motion to approve the lease amendment passed by unanimous voice vote. County staff said they will incorporate the amended terms into the 2026 budget planning and continue coordination with state court representatives.
Next steps: county administration will finalize the amendment paperwork with the state and monitor the court’s relocation timeline so the county can plan for space reuse and budget impacts.
