Meredith Operating Budget proposed to decrease by 1.94%

—    or 1.94 percent — from last year's budget.

Selectmen Chair Peter Brothers explained that department heads were given the directive to not have budget increases exceeding 2 precent.

The goal was to maintain service levels, hold new positions in check and review positions if someone leaves or retires. A hold was put on equipment purchases, which Brothers said is a practice not typically done by the town.

"We looked very hard at those items that could be delayed to save against the bottom line of the budget," he said.

This year's budget also factors in a 2.5 percent cost of living adjustment for employees, yet step increases in pay have been frozen for this year. Brothers said step increases will be considered again in next year's budget process

The budget overall "was pretty even" according to Brothers. Extensive discussion was also held on the potential impact to taxpayers and it was learned the 2008 assessed value increase slightly, reflecting that the town continues to have additional construction.

It was also learned that there was expected to be a revenue shortfall of around $381,000, which would have an impact on the tax bill. The board worked with the interim town managers and the department heads, who made further cuts in their budgets.

Other sources of revenue and savings were found by potentially taking $100,000 out of the downtown parking expendable trust fund and a savings of $100,000 on the paving of Batchelder Hill Road by doing the project in phases.

"I've got to say I thought we had some creative and some good ideas and developed ways to be more efficient and hold these costs down," Brothers said. "Our bottom line budget should be down about two percent on the operating side."

Brothers said this likely would not result in a "considerable increase" for the 2009 tax bill.

Other discussions on the budget also related to regional agencies. All regional agencies were level funded for this year. It was discussed in previous budget sessions that there possibly could be separate warrant articles for individual agencies so voters would be able to get more information on the work of each agency.

Additionally $15,000 was budgeted into milfoil treatment, which was the only time money was put back into the budget. The original budget recommended that $5,000 be put in for this year after $15,000 was budgeted last year for treatment of the Meredith end of Lake Winnisquam. Fish Cove and Meredith Bay are earmarked for treatment this year.

Another item in the budget is $25,000 in union negotiations related to the request to form a collective bargaining group filed by the public works and water and sewer departments. Representatives from the town and the group went before a hearing with the state Public Employee Labor Relations Board in Dec. of last year and co-interim Town Manager Brenda Vittner said the ruling related to the request to unionize will be made by the end of the month and a collective bargaining agreement will be worked out.

"We are going to have a union," Vittner said, saying the group in question is one bargaining unit within the town.

Resident Pat Mack expressed concern that the cost could "snowball" if more employees unionize. Vittner said there are communities with multiple bargaining units.

Warrant articles are expected to come back from review by the Department of Revenue Administration shortly.

Meredith's 2009 budget and warrant articles will be decided by voters at town meeting in March.

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