Wolfeboro budget committee recommends $35.9 million 2026 operating budget, 9-1

The Wolfeboro Budget Committee voted 9-1 on Jan. 13 to recommend a proposed 2026 operating budget of $35,913,502, which the committee's chair said would carry an estimated tax-rate impact of $3.14 per $1,000 of assessed valuation.

The committee's presentation at Brewster Hall summarized the plan's structure and drivers. The operating figure includes general fund spending of roughly $20.4 million; the total $35.9 million number also counts enterprise funds for electricity, water, sewer and the town's ice arena. The committee and town staff emphasized that enterprise funds generate offsetting revenues and are not funded by general property taxation in the same way as the general fund.

"Out of the 231 cities and towns in the state, Wolfeboro had the ninth-lowest property tax per thousand," the chair said during opening remarks, while urging residents to review the warrant before deliberative session. Town manager Jim Peneo said the selectboard had not yet finalized the default budget and noted that wage adjustments made in 2024 and 2025 are not reflected in the statutory default calculation.

Committee members and department liaisons walked through the largest budget pressures: a $377,000 assessment from the SchoolCare health-insurance pool, negotiated wage and benefit increases for unionized staff, the addition or rephasing of several positions across departments, and the unusual election schedule in 2026 that increases the town-clerk line for ballots and staffing. "We were assessed $377,000 as part of SchoolCare because our claims exceeded what the pool collected," the town manager said when explaining the health-insurance increase.

Department highlights included a police budget that, after some cuts and items moved to warrant articles, is approximately level with last year; a modestly lower fire operating budget despite higher personnel costs associated with pay and a new public-safety building; and substantial increases in public-works outside-services driven by contract hauling and tipping fees at the solid-waste facility.

Residents questioned several line items during public comment, seeking clearer presentation of proposed versus expended amounts and more detail on why particular lines rose. One resident urged the committee to present larger, clearer slides at the deliberative session to make comparisons easier for taxpayers.

The committee finalized its recommendation by roll-call vote; the chair announced the motion to recommend the operating budget passed, 9 to 1. That recommendation will be presented and debated at the town's deliberative session before the final March 10 vote by the town's legislative body.