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Allenstown board debates moving ambulance and fire revenue into capital reserves
Summary
Select Board members and trustees debated whether to convert emergency services'revolving-fund revenue into capital reserve accounts, with trustees citing RSA 35 limits and other members arguing voter authorization is preferable to a continuing 'blank check.'
The Allenstown Select Board spent the bulk of its meeting debating whether revenue now held in the emergency services revolving fund should be reallocated into specific capital reserve accounts.
Chair (speaker S2) opened the item by asking for financial detail and the list of existing capital-reserve accounts. A board member who advocated moving money into capital reserves said, “What I wanna do is make sure that the money … is going to adequately fund the fees to the capital reserve amounts so that the money can be sent appropriately” (S2). That member described the current revolving fund as effectively a “blank check” and proposed setting specific target amounts in reserve accounts and asking voters each year to authorize contributions to reach those targets.
Trustee speaker S1 pushed back, citing statutory constraints: “They are within the scope of RSA 35. RSA 35 has five things you can do and only those five,” and warned that capital reserve accounts are stricter than revolving funds. The trustee emphasized that some uses — notably salary payments — are not permitted from capital reserve accounts and said warrant article language will matter for any change.
The county administrator, John Merrick (S3), told the board he had not yet received qualified applications for the multi-department administrative assistant but flagged that the river race for Old Home Day had been canceled. He also took part in the revolving-fund discussion, noting year-to-year variation in revenues: “The first year there was about a $100,000 that went into this fund. Last year I think it was $300,000” (S3).
Fire and emergency representatives explained how specific gear and vehicle costs are typically categorized. One presenter outlined that items such as cardiac monitors, Lucas devices and thermal imaging cameras are usually funded from safety-equipment or fire-equipment reserves; he warned that failing to maintain lease or monitor payments could risk losing critical equipment.
The board agreed to gather the definitive warrant-language for the capital reserve accounts, ask departments to assemble five-year CIP (capital improvement plan) schedules, and continue coordination with trustees and their investment review before any formal transfer of funds or warrant articles are drafted.
The matter was left for further documentation and follow-up rather than a final vote.
