Recently in Capital Reserve Fund Category
The Meredith News November 14, 2008
SARAH SCHMIDT
MOULTONBORO — Driven by an increase in the county portion, the projected tax rate for Moultonboro residents is on the rise, from $6.99 per $1,000 in 2007, to $7.65 in the current year. Town Administrator Carter Terenzini presented the tax rate to selectmen and told them that the rate had been approved by the New Hampshire Department of Revenue. The total amount raised is decided by the town’s local assessed valuation - down 2 percent from last year, from about $2,878,000,000 in 2007, to $2,827,646,039 this year. Though all portions of the tax rate are up this year, the most dramatic rise was a 22.78 percent increase in the county portion, from 79 cents to 99 cents.Terenzini said the county portion accounted for about a third of the increase. The town portion came in next, increasing from $2.07 to $2.32, a 12 percent increase. The local school portion increased from $2.01 to $2.16, a 7.46 percent increase, while the state portion of the school tax increased 4.25 percent, from $2.12 to $2.21. Despite these increases, Terenzini warned against people concluding that their taxes would automatically “go up 10 percent,” and said that taxes would vary depending on value and rate. He gave several examples of housing situations in Moultonboro, and how each would be affected by the tax rate. One house in the tenth percentile, assessed at $211,900 in 2007, with taxes of $1,481, had decreased in its assessment in 2008, bumping the taxes up to $1,593, Terenzini said, giving a local example. A house in a median percentile, at $477,000 in 2007, had its taxes rise from $3,335 to $3,481 in 2008, a rise of about 4.4 percent. Properties with a decrease in value of 8.6 percent tend to stay flat in relative dollars, Terenzini said. He also noted that the selectmen had chosen to use of the unreserved fund balance to help out the tax rate, leaving the amount at 7.5 percent. Selectman Chair Karel Crawford noted that the town was searching for ways to increase their efficiencies in order to bring down the budget. “We’ve looked at joining with the school to buy our supplies and oil,” said Crawford. “The department heads are working on their budgets right now.We’re going to look at conservation, and we want to keep the tax rate down.” Crawford also noted that, oddly, her own property’s assessed valuation had inexplicably gone up. Resident Al Hume spoke up about the budget, asking about capital expenditures, and whether the selectmen thought that they could bring the budget for capital expense items “as close to zero as possible.” Selectman Ed
Charest said that selectmen were also looking at the economic situation as an opportunity to “save us money in the long run,” noting that prices for equipment and supplies aren’t going down yet.
By
eplummer@citizen.com
November 8, 2008
MOULTONBOROUGH - Proposed changes to Moultonborough's transfer station will address ongoing safety issues and expansion of recycling space.
Members of the municipal needs committee appeared before the selectmen during Thursday night's meeting to report on the committee's findings. Town Administrator Carter Terenzini and the Board of Selectmen in late July asked the committee to offer possible solutions to safety concerns at the transfer station.
While there had not been a major incident at the station, Police Chief Scott Kinmond said there have been some worker injuries at the station, mostly involving handling glass.
Committee Chair Barbara Rando said four possible solutions were listed, ranging from large-scale to minimal.
The large-scale project called for a 120- by 100-foot addition to the existing building at the transfer station to satisfy all safety concerns and leave room for expansion.
A medium-scale project would involve no expansion of the facility, but would add four balers inside the building to allow workers to reduce their handling of recyclables by 60 percent. There would be an open bin for glass to free another container for recyclable plastics.
Currently residents go into the facility with their paper, which poses some safety risks. Under the medium plan, there would be a paper baler in the facility so residents will not bale their own paper. There also would be a Dutch door at the facility for cardboard. A pole barn also is proposed for the back to keep recyclables clean and dry.
A smaller solution would have just a glass pit and improvements in signs, which are being proposed with all the plans. The last option is to "do nothing" and go back to the joint loss management committee to come up with recommendations. Money for signs still would be requested and getting a perforator for the plant might also be recommended.
Another addition proposed is a "valet service" on weekends and holidays during the summer where part-time staff members will help move traffic. The valet service is proposed for most of the plans.
There is $900,000 in the capital reserve fund. Rando said there is enough money in the capital reserve fund to cover a project between the large and medium projects.
