Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Municipal Budget topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Salisbury budget committee tentatively approves police detail, personnel and library line items; sets warrant number
Summary
At its Jan. 12 meeting, the Salisbury Budget Committee tentatively approved several 2026 line items — including $51,400 for police details, $34,831 for personnel administration and $47,289 for the library — updated the Article 5 operating-budget figure to $1,901,958 and scheduled a joint meeting with the Selectboard.
Marcia Murphy, chair of the Salisbury Budget Committee, presided over the committee’s Jan. 12 meeting at Academy Hall, where members tentatively approved several line items for the town’s 2026 budget and adjusted the figure for Warrant Article 5.
The committee voted to tentatively allocate $51,400 to police detail (account 4210-50) after a presentation from Selectman Jennifer Hoyt and Lt. Baldassarre of the New Hampshire State Police. Lt. Baldassarre said the prior agreement increased detail hours from eight to 12 and that it "could be increased to 16 hours, or four shifts a week," which would utilize most of the budgeted amount. Both Hoyt and the lieutenant said they were willing to revise the contract to allow a fourth patrol. Brett Walker moved to tentatively approve the police-detail allocation; Pierre Ballou seconded and the motion carried.
Committee members also moved to tentatively approve $34,831 for 4155 — Personnel Administration — with Brett Walker making the motion and David Kelly seconding. The committee voted in the affirmative.
On the town warrant, Walker clarified that an individual committee cannot bind future committees but said the current committee would update figures for one year. Jennifer Hoyt noted that Article 5 should reflect the total operating budget; the committee approved updating Article 5 to show an operating-budget figure of $1,901,958 after a second from Jason Hood.
The committee addressed the library budget after Chair Murphy identified an earlier minutes error that had included donation funds; Town Administrator April Rollins said a clarifying statement or a corrected vote could remedy the record. Brett Walker moved to tentatively approve $47,289 for the library (4550); Ashley Langevin seconded. The motion passed with Selectman Jennifer Hoyt recorded as abstaining.
Members discussed the estimated taxpayer impact of the budget increase. Walker calculated a rough estimate of about $0.18 per $1,000 of assessed value tied to a 3.72% budget increase but noted the final rate depends on factors not yet determined. Rollins reported several encumbrances on the current budget, including $93,296 for a GMI paving estimate, $70,000 for a MacDuffie Construction estimate and $10,000 for a wetlands permit at the highway property.
Bill MacDuffie Sr. requested a joint meeting with the Selectboard before next year’s budget season to discuss salary raises; the committee voted to invite the Selectboard to a joint meeting in September. The committee also agreed to meet at 6:45 p.m. before the public budget hearing scheduled for Feb. 2, 2025 at 7 p.m. at Academy Hall.
The meeting closed with a motion from Brett Walker to adjourn, seconded by David Kelly; the committee adjourned at 8:14 p.m.
