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Subcommittees approve Strafford County budget; $24,000 added for training, probate move raises next-year budget concerns
Summary
All four subcommittees approved the commissioner’s proposed budget and the general government subcommittee added about $24,000 for enhanced training; board members warned that the state’s plan to move probate to Rochester could reduce lease revenue and affect next year’s budget.
Ray told the board that all four subcommittees have met and approved the commissioner’s proposed budget; two subcommittees added funding lines, and the general government subcommittee voted to add about $24,000 to restore enhanced training funds for a replacement position. Representative Miller, identified in the record as chairman of the general government subcommittee, completed the request; Representative Harrington moved to add the $24,000 and later voted against the overall budget, per the meeting discussion.
Members noted the budget actions were budget-neutral relative to the commissioner’s proposal and described the subcommittee votes as unanimous in that forum. The transcript captures some dissent on separate Riverside budget items (two no votes there), but the overall budget was discussed as passing the subcommittee stage.
Board members also raised an operational issue with a state plan to move probate functions to the district court in Rochester, tentatively in October. Officials said the county courthouse totals about 36,000 square feet (roughly 21,000 upstairs and 15,000 downstairs) and that the change would primarily affect next year’s budget due to lost lease revenue; county staff noted a 3% lease increase effective July 1 that had not been budgeted. Members emphasized that any relocation of the registry of deeds would require county agreement.
The board asked staff to wait for written confirmation from the state before proposing facility-reuse plans. Suggestions discussed included seeking new tenants, repurposing space for social-service agencies, or allocating courtroom space for an additional superior-court judge if needed; members noted constraints such as security-hour limits and court-related restrictions.
The meeting record shows several follow-ups: staff will collect written state confirmation about probate, provide final incentive reports (GDS/GTS) when available, and make updated budget documents available online.
