To the Editor:
If there are two values that define the New Hampshire psyche, they are common sense and local control. There are 234 municipalities in N.H. and each honors their specific character and respects their ability to decide what is best for their town.
With a Republican majority in the N.H. House, we had hoped for legislation that would support local control, but it has not turned out that way. For that reason, we voice our disagreement on House Bills that limit what we consider one of N.H.’s defining characteristics - local municipal control.
During this current session, bills passed that mandate the form of town municipal budgets (HB 243), place restrictions on budget recommendations to town warrants (HB 484), and how petition warrant articles are addressed in town meetings (HB 67). Further, bills passed that dictate planning board deadlines for consideration of regional development (HB 332), decrease accessibility for voting in our town and state elections, (HB 55, HB 285, HB5 23, HB 291, HB 292, HB 326), determine school board policies (HB 182, HB 278, HB 182), as well as what teachers should teach (HB 544 in HB 2). Local school boards could lose the ability to call an emergency meeting (HB 71), lose their statutory responsibility to approve credits and competencies required for graduation (HB 182) and lose local control of their school building space by giving the right of first refusal for unused space to charter schools (HB 278) even if the school is owned by the municipality. These bills all passed the House in a straight partisan manner.
In addition to these bills that place an extra burden on local municipalities, the House budget cuts business taxes, room and meals taxes, and reduces funding to public schools. However, it includes a $10 million payback, of taxpayer’s money, to investors in FRM, a ponzi scheme banking scandal that occurred about 13 years ago. This $10 million could, and should, be used for the benefit of all taxpayers.
The Republican tax cuts at the state level have to be made up and that happens at the local level, through your property taxes. The concept is simple: when the state cuts taxes, property taxes go up.
We hope our state senators will seriously consider the potential consequences on our towns and municipalities as they take up the legislation the House has passed. We ask the Senate not to support this overreach by the state.
In the end, the Republicans are taking away the choices that you and your communities should be making for yourself.
Kate Murray
Rockingham 24
Jaci Grote
Rockingham 24
Dennis Malloy
Rockingham 23
Alexis Simpson
Rockingham 36
Mary Beth Walz
Merrimack 23