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Warner approves $2.9 million operating budget and funds for multiple capital reserves at annual meeting
Summary
Voters at the Town of Warner annual meeting approved a $2,901,064.11 operating budget and a series of capital-reserve additions, including funds for Exit 9 improvements, road construction, equipment replacement and public-safety vehicles. The meeting also authorized an AT&T tower lease and created an employee health insurance trust.
Warner voters approved a $2,901,064.11 operating budget for 2013 and a package of warrant articles that add money to several capital reserve funds, approve library and employee-benefit spending and authorize a lease for a telecommunications tower on town land.
Moderator Ray Martin read Article 2 as presented: "Shall the Town raise and appropriate the sum of $2,901,064.11 (Two Million Nine Hundred One Thousand, Sixty Four Dollars and Eleven Cents) as a 2013 Operating Budget?" The Budget Committee, represented by Chairman Michael Cutting, presented a PowerPoint overview of the proposed operating and capital budgets; the moderator recorded that Article 2 was "Not Recommended by the Board of Selectmen" and "Recommended by the Budget Committee." After questions and debate, a motion to move the question was made and, following a paper-ballot vote, the article passed.
In separate votes, the meeting approved a series of capital contributions and funds: Article 3 added $15,000 to the Police Department Vehicle Capital Reserve Fund after Police Chief William Chandler explained the request; Article 4 added $129,000 to an Exit 9 Improvements Capital Reserve Fund after an engineering presentation (see separate article on Exit 9); Article 5 approved $250,000 to the Highway Road Construction Capital Reserve Fund (with $50,000 from the General Fund Balance and $200,000 to be raised by taxation); Article 6 was amended from $60,000 to $30,000 for the Highway Equipment Capital Reserve Fund and the amended amount passed; Article 7 added $5,000 to the Property Revaluation Fund; Article 8 added $50,000 to the Fire/Rescue Vehicle Fund; and Article 9 added $25,000 to the Bridge Replacement & Maintenance Fund.
Article 10 established an Employee Health Insurance Expendable Trust Fund to cover deductibles and placed $15,000 into the fund from the General Fund Balance; Selectman Clyde Carson said the program had been run as a trial the prior year and the trust is intended to replenish only the amount actually used. That article passed by paper ballot, recorded YES 67 NO 41. Article 11 authorized $25,680.40 for Pillsbury Free Library operations to be withdrawn from library-managed accounts; no discussion was recorded and the article passed.
The meeting also moved Articles 12 and 13 earlier on the agenda. Article 12, authorizing selectmen to enter a multi-term lease with AT&T to place a communications tower on town-owned land, passed after an amendment to remove automatic renewal language failed (see separate article). Article 13, to discontinue membership in the Central New Hampshire Regional Planning Commission, was moved to "Pass Over." Following votes on several articles, a motion to restrict reconsideration on Articles 2, 3, 4, 12 and 13 passed.
The Moderator closed the meeting after a brief remembrance of two long-time town employees; the session adjourned at 10:08 p.m.
What happens next: monies approved to capital reserve funds will be managed by the selectmen and treasurer as directed; projects tied to those funds (for example, the Waldron Hill Road project) will require separate planning and procurement steps before construction.
