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Jaffrey budget committee approves 2026 operating, utility budgets and $5.44M in warrant articles
Summary
The Jaffrey Budget Committee approved the town's 2026 operating budget of $8,076,229 (a 5.8% increase), recommended a tax rate rise to $6.57, endorsed water and sewer budgets and unanimously approved $5,443,834 in warrant articles including a proposed $3.5 million fire station addition.
The Jaffrey Budget Committee on Feb. 7 approved the town's 2026 operating budget and a slate of utility budgets and warrant articles, voting unanimously on each item.
The committee approved a recommended operating budget of $8,076,229, up $443,014 (5.8%) from the 2025 approved total of $7,633,215. Finance staff reported that the recommendation would change the town's tax rate to $6.57 from $6.24, a $0.33 increase (5.3% change), after accounting for estimated revenues and fund balances.
Committee members highlighted major line-item increases driving the change, including combined health, dental and workers'comp costs ($133,499), law enforcement salaries ($54,155), IT services and personnel ($45,980), mutual aid dispatch ($33,139) and other salary and operations adjustments. The prosecution budget rose to reflect a proposal for a full-time prosecutor.
The committee also approved the water budget at $1,785,913 (a $488,094 increase, +37.6% from 2025) and the sewer budget at $2,279,238 (down $15,820, -0.7%). Finance staff said the town's water and sewer utilities are planned to be self-funded, with a 10-year rate and fund-balance recovery plan; the committee noted sewer rates had already increased 5% in January, while water rates remained level.
On capital and warrant items, the committee recommended $5,443,834 in warrant articles, led by a proposed $3,500,000 addition to the fire station. The warrant package also included road paving and equipment capital reserve funds, bridge rehabilitation CRF, municipal building maintenance and other targeted CRF items.
Votes were recorded as follows: operating budget (motion by Kathy Batchelder; second Peter Maki) approved 7-0; water budget (motion by Bob Schaumann; second Kathy Batchelder) approved 7-0; sewer budget (motion by Mike Nork; second Kathy Batchelder) approved 7-0; Downtown TIFD and Stone Arch TIFD budgets approved 7-0; warrant articles (motion by Patty Farmer; second Peter Maki) approved 7-0.
A resident request for a full sidewalk on Squantum Road was discussed; the Department of Public Works advised that an at-grade treatment with delineators would be less maintenance-intensive for plowing and that constructing a full sidewalk to accommodate numerous driveways would cost about $180,000, a figure the committee noted is not covered by the sidewalk CRF, which is intended for reconstructing existing sidewalks rather than creating new stretches.
The committee approved corrected minutes from Jan. 10, 2026 (7-0) and minutes from Jan. 15, 2026 (approved 4-0 with three abstentions by members who did not attend that meeting). The meeting recessed at 9:42 a.m., reconvened at 10:00 a.m., and adjourned at 10:18 a.m. Town Meeting was announced for March 14 at 9 a.m. at Pratt Auditorium.
