Tamworth Select Board recommends most 2026 warrant articles but opposes crosswalk repainting and Tri-County CAP funding

The Tamworth Select Board reviewed and voted recommendations on all warrant articles at a Feb. 10 public hearing and recommended most of the Town’s proposed spending and petition articles to appear on the warrant.

Board recommendations and notable roll-call outcomes included:

- Article 03 (increase optional veterans’ service-connected disability tax credit to $2,500): Select Board recommended 4–0. Emily Nolan, Town Administrator, explained the change is necessary because the state no longer allows stacking of multiple credits and the enacted language increases the single applicable credit. Nolan said the town would check the MS-1 to determine how many taxpayers are affected; that number was not specified at the hearing.

- Article 11 ($35,000 for two electric vehicle chargers; funding contingent on donations/grants): the Select Board took an additional recommendation vote tonight and the roll-call result was split 2–2 (Schaeffer no; Roberts no; Prentice yes; Behr yes). Nolan said the Select Board’s January 27 vote, per town counsel, was sufficient for the warrant; the recommendation recorded tonight remains advisory.

- Article 27 (funding for Tri-County Community Action Program services, $6,327): the Select Board voted 0–4 not to recommend this petition article.

- Article 32 (repaint four Chocorua Village crosswalks, $1,500): petitioners urged repainting as a safety measure, but Road Agent Emery Roberts and other board members cited NH Department of Transportation guidance that painted crosswalks without flashing beacons can create liability; Roberts said installing beacons could cost tens of thousands of dollars and favored discontinuing crosswalks. The Select Board voted 0–4 not to recommend the article. Petitioners indicated they would present the request to town meeting voters.

- Article 23 (support for school-aged childcare at Tamworth Preschool Inc., $18,000): the board recommended 3–1 (Schaeffer no, others yes).

- Articles tied to capital reserves and large departmental appropriations (Article 15 — Public Works $1,459,080; Article 13 — General Government $1,150,904; Article 14 — Public Safety $1,061,155) were recommended by the Select Board by roll-call votes of 4–0 after brief discussion and clarification of funding sources for items such as transfer-station improvements and grant contingencies.

- Several petition articles for local social services and nonprofits (Articles 22, 24, 25, 26, 28, 29, 30, 31) received board recommendations, with Article 28 (Bearcamp Center summer camp, $8,000) and Article 29 (Bearcamp meals, $6,000) recommended 3–0 due to Lianne Prentice’s recusal; Prentice had stepped down from the board table because she is Director of the Bearcamp Center for Sustainable Community.

The board also acted on routine municipal business: approving meeting minutes from Jan. 27, a fireworks permit, a CBGB grant for Remick Acres, the engagement letter for the 2025 audit, an abatement application, an intent-to-excavate approval, a timber yield tax payment, veterans’ tax credits for four parcels, and accounts payable totaling $353,730.45 (including a $275,000 school payment). Karl Behr moved to approve the budget as presented and the motion passed by roll-call vote 4–0. The meeting adjourned at 6:06 p.m.

Why this matters: most warrant articles will appear to town voters with the Select Board’s recommendation, but two petition articles that received no recommendation from the board will instead be decided by voters at Town Meeting; a split recommendation on the EV charger funding and the crosswalk debate highlights how grant contingencies and state DOT guidance affected board support.

Notable quotes from the hearing:

"If the private donations and/or grant funds are not received to pay the $35,000 in full, this article will be null and void," Nolan said of the EV-charger article.

On crosswalks, Road Agent Emery Roberts said: "If we don't install beacons and continue to paint them the town is potentially liable." Petitioners urged reconsideration of safety needs at Chocorua Village.

The Select Board will not draw on the Unassigned Fund Balance before the tax rate is set and will reconsider offsets in the fall when tax-rate calculations are finalized.