By Nicholas Brown
Staff Writer

Hooksett police officers and their supporters campaigned in support of Article 26, which would have established a fund for special detail pay. The measure failed with a vote of 1,278-1,334. At right is retired police officer Frank Gray, who authored the petitioned warrant article.

Eighteen million dollars wasn’t enough to scare Hooksett voters, who on the May 9 election day set in motion what could prove one of the biggest commercial projects in New Hampshire’s history.

“This is a wonderful, wonderful day in the life of Hooksett,” Town Council Chairman Michael DiBitetto said after the votes were tallied. “It’s a great sign that the Hooksett voters want to move this town forward.”

The $18 million bond for the tax increment financing, or TIF zone, passed 1,658-1,028. The warrant article needed 60 percent of votes to pass, and got 61.7 percent.

The town partnered with the Nebraska-based outdoor retailer Cabela’s to devise the $18 million plan, which designates $4.5 million solely for town infrastructure improvements. The remaining $13.5 is planned for infrastructure supporting the proposed 55-acre Cabela’s site.

Leading up to the vote, Warrant Article 5 drew some fierce campaigning both from supporters and opponents of the proposed expenditure.

Many Hooksett residents spoke out publicly against the plan, saying too many questions were still unanswered by both town officials and representatives of the publicly traded company.

Cabela’s representatives said a “no” vote wouldn’t necessarily signal the end of the company’s interest in Hooksett, though the company has been eyeing spots for a “destination retail” location in New Hampshire for about two years.

“Whether the vote is positive or negative, it’s been a pleasure to watch the whole process in New Hampshire,” Cabela’s representative Ed Eckman said on voting day.

The newly reconfigured town council must now negotiate the terms of the bond with the Nebraska company, and Eckman said Cabela’s will move forward with a detailed traffic study.

Eckman said talks must also get serious with the state Department of Transportation regarding developable land near the interstate exit to resolve access issues and encourage other commercial developments.

Ambulance service Voters rejected spending $156,000 for the first six months’ operation of a town-run, 24-hour ambulance service.

Tri-Town Ambulance, which also gives primary service to Pembroke and Allenstown, has been the town’s ambulance provider for 36 years, but fire officials argued a Hooksett-only service could provide quicker care.

Tri-Town representatives were stationed outside Cawley Middle School on voting day, and rallied against the change.

Hooksett Fire Chief Mike Williams has said some area fire departments have generated considerable revenue through town-run ambulance services, but also has said the change was proposed primarily to increase the quality and timing of health care to Hooksett residents.

David Ross won the Hooksett Town Council seat for District 4 with a 121-42 vote.

DiBitetto suggested the proposed change may have thrown some voters off guard.

“You’re talking about a pretty significant change in the way service is provided,” he said.

Said Town Councilor Paul Loiselle, “The people in town have a long relationship with Tri-Town.”

Village School building
The Village School building, empty since students last went home for the summer in 2004, will have new tenants.

Voters, by a count of 1,416 to 1,082, approved using $500,000 in surplus revenue to turn the building into new town offices.

Current town employees, squeezed into the outdated municipal building, have been lobbying for new digs for years, though a $1.5 million proposal to turn the school building into half town offices and half community center was nixed at the polls last year.

This year’s slimmed-down plan will outfit about half the historic Main Street building to fit all the town’s municipal employees.

Police detail fund
Hooksett’s police officers may not be able to work as many special details – jobs offered by private contractors that pay officers $31 an hour – as voters rejected a revolving loan fund.

The fund was proposed by petition by former police officer Frank Gray after the budget committee cut $50,000 from the proposed police special detail line – which is built into the town’s budget – earlier this year.

A group of residents rallied in favor of the change, campaigning in front of the polls and pasting the town with signs. Several police officers also came out to Cawley to support the petition, which failed by a mere 56 votes.

Pay raises
Voters approved pay raises both for Hooksett’s firefighters and its nonunion personnel.

Firefighters’ wages will jump 6 percent this year, and 3 percent in each of the next two years. The raise will cost taxpayers about $177,000 over the three-year period.

Voters also approved spending $74,254 for raises for the town’s nonunion personnel.

In March, Hooksett voters denied a three-year pay hike for the town’s teachers.

Other articles
Voters rejected the $14.3 million operating budget, which proposed more money for higher fuel costs and a new firefighter. This year’s budget will be $14,150,709.

Voters did approve spending $105,000 for the final phase of upgrades to the library HVAC system, but soundly rejecting spending $50,000 on a feasibility study for the southern leg of the Parkway, a conceptual road that would bypass Route 3.

Elections
Former Town Councilor Pat Rueppel defeated Michael Pischetola for the District 1 council seat. The two earned 305 and 167 votes respectively.

Incumbent Jason Hyde, Jim Gorton and Dave Ross all won uncontested council races, though Ross was challenged by a write-in campaign by Ray Langer in District 4. Ross earned 121 votes, to Langer’s 42.

High turnout
As expected, voters turned out in droves to weigh in on a number of contentious topics this year. Of 7,798 registered voters, 2,730 passed through Cawley to make their vote count, a turnout of 35 percent.

“I’m exceptionally pleased about that (turnout),” said Loiselle. “It’s always good when the citizenry is involved.”

See complete vote results at yourneighborhoodnews.com.