By Rod Hansen
Staff Writer

Goffstown officials said they wanted to keep a level tax rate for next year, but budget talks have closed with an anticipated 11 percent increase in the town’s portion of the tax rate for 2007.

Selectmen had stated a goal of sticking to the current tax rate of $8.22, but the board concluded its third round of budget deliberations on Monday, Oct. 30, with a budget that would leave next year’s town portion of the tax rate at $9.18.

The difficulty in maintaining a stable tax rate were mentioned repeatedly throughout budget deliberations, with board Chairman Barbara Griffin mentioning earlier that the goal may be hard to attain.

“One of the difficulties in setting a goal of a level tax rate is that you are guaranteed to have to make cuts,” Griffin said.

Board members walked into their final deliberation having already made $666,283 in budget cuts, and trimming an additional $278,570 at their meeting of Oct. 30.

Some of the earlier cuts came from the Capital Improvements Program, including removal of $31,700 for a police cruiser, $40,000 for a fire utility vehicle, $225,000 that would have completed the purchase of a fire engine, $50,000 for a fire department facilities study, and $188,000 to replace the Department of Public Works’ 10-wheel dump truck.

Selectmen voted to restore the dump truck at the Oct. 30 meeting, but postponed a $450,000 upgrade to the intersection of Mast and Wallace roads, resulting in a net savings of $262,000.

Even in the thick of their budget cutting, there were some items selectmen refused to take off the table. Selectman Nick Campasano proposed taking $600,000 out of the town’s road plan for next year, which director of Public Works Carl Quiram said would force public works to postpone repairs to Snook or Mountain Road.

“If it means we have to scrap one of those projects, they are important projects and they should stay,” Griffin said.

Campasano’s motion failed 4-1.

Selectmen also adjusted the tax rate by voting to anticipate a 1.5 percent rise in assessed property, which increased expected revenue by $500,000, said Selectman Phil D’Avanza.

With this year’s budget deliberations causing much debate and protests from departments, one selectman said problems may lie in the process itself.

“This whole process is backwards,” said Selectman John Caprio. “The department heads sit down with the CIP (committee), then the CIP comes before selectmen and they have to pull things.”

Caprio had suggested setting aside more expenditures as special warrant articles, thus decreasing the bottom line of the town operating budget.

“By putting everything into the budget, you’re putting everything at risk,” Caprio said.

However, Griffin countered that warrant articles themselves present a risk of being voted down.

“I get alarmed when I hear over and over again, ‘Let the people vote,’ because we are supposed to come with a selectmen’s budget,” Griffin said. “I know towns that have a lot of special articles, and that process doesn’t always go well because special warrant articles are routinely voted down.”