Troy selectmen tentatively approve 2026 cemetery, highway and transfer-station budgets; set tax rate

The Troy Board of Selectmen on Nov. 20 tentatively approved multiple town budgets for 2026, moved several warrant articles for voter consideration and set a final 2025 tax rate after using $126,000 of the town's unassigned fund balance to buy it down.

Cemetery Trustee Kayla Cashman presented the cemetery budget, which the Board said is reduced by $13,676 — about 21 percent — from the current year. The Selectmen voted 3-0 to tentatively approve the cemetery budget at $50,579 and to place $5,000 into the Cemetery Maintenance Expendable Trust Fund via a warrant article. The draft warrant article reads in part: "To see if the Town will vote to raise and appropriate the sum of Five Thousand Dollars ($5,000) to be placed in the Cemetery Maintenance Expendable Trust Fund with said funds to come from taxation. Majority Vote Required." The motion to approve the warrant article passed 3-0.

Road Agent John Coons presented the highway proposal and said he will provide the Selectmen with the list of roads slated for 2026 work, including High Street, Starkey Avenue, Derby Lane, Gap Mountain Road, Howard Street and Nelson Street. The Board tentatively approved the highway budget, including four new account lines, in the amount of $497,983. Chairman Curtis Hopkins noted that highway employees received significant raises in 2025 and that the 2026 proposal includes 6–9 percent increases; Selectmen emphasized that the final pay increases will be set by the Board regardless of the budgeted figures.

Town Administrator Jeremy Bourgeois and Transfer Station Supervisor Eric Handy reviewed the transfer-station proposal. Bourgeois said monitoring-wells costs have been moved from the operating budget to the Transfer Station Special Revenue Fund — which he said currently holds approximately $270,000 — allowing the 2026 transfer-station operating proposal to drop by about $42,333 (roughly 21.1 percent). The Board tentatively approved the transfer-station budget at $153,885 and tentatively approved related draft warrant articles for a security camera system, a new shed and parking-lot paving, subject to finalized costs.

During the consent portion of the meeting the Board approved multiple payroll and accounts-payable manifests and approved public and non-public minutes from Nov. 6, 2025. The Board also reviewed preliminary tax-rate information from the New Hampshire Department of Revenue Administration and voted 3-0 to use $126,000 of the unassigned fund balance and to amend the overlay to $15,000, producing a total tax rate of $21.54 (Town $8.90; County $2.44; Local Education $9.03; State Education $1.17).

The Board received guidance from the New Hampshire Municipal Association on RSA changes related to the veteran's tax credit and voted unanimously to add the recommended veteran's tax-credit warrant article to the 2026 Town Warrant. Several routine items — including timber yield tax bills, an intent to cut, a $3,860.46 NH DES CWSRF disbursement request, and Building Permit #2025-47 (amended cost $384) — were approved unanimously.

The Board tabled items including a proposed IT contract with WorldWide Communications and a Conservation Commission appointment pending future consideration. The meeting concluded after a non-public session in which members discussed personnel matters and current legal cases; the Board returned to public session and adjourned at 9:08 p.m.