Claremont New Hampshire Voters Have Choice
On Tuesday, March 12 Claremont taxpayers have a choice to curb the upward spiral on local education property taxes by voting for their local school district tax cap Warrant Article 11.
The spending cap is a result of NH RSA 32:5 which was enacted by the NH legislature and signed by former Governor Lynch in 2011. You can access http://www.gencourt.state.nh.us/rsa/html/III/32/32-5-c.htm. to read the state law. Seventy-six Claremont petitioners signed the ballot question in order to place it on the March 12 ballot.
The tax cap will cap spending at its current level. Therefore, it will limit future increases beyond this years level. It will only target the main budget by capping appropriations. It will have no effect on revenue, assessments, or special warrant articles. If there is an emergency, loss of revenue, or for any other necessity, the school district may override the cap. So, it will not handicap future needs. By the same token, the school district will still be able to cut the operating budget. Therefore, the tax cap will give taxpayers more control, improve transparency, and allow more choices. Please visit http://youtu.be/jeUBvo5kdAo for my video presentation.
Each year voters are presented two budgets (main and default) which essentially is a choice between high or higher. Approximately seventy-five percent of the total budget is allocated for salaries and benefits which continue to increase each year. These costs continue to be thrust upon the taxpayers. The tax cap will serve as a tool in controlling our costs.
If you visit the NH Dept. of Revenue Administration website at http://www.revenue.nh.gov/, you will see a listing of tax rates for each town in NH. Claremont is listed as having the highest tax rate of $34.37 per $1,000 of assessed value. Approximately fifty percent of our tax burden is a result of local education taxes which is listed at $16.10 per $1,000. So, the tax cap will address one component of our high tax burden.
Tax caps have been very effective in stabilizing the tax rates as well as growing the tax base in Franklin, Laconia, Derry, Nashua, Manchester, Dover, Rochester, and the Newfound School District.
It is my belief that if the tax cap is adopted in Claremont; it will help to curb rising costs in the school budgets and stabilize the tax rate. Isn’t that what we want in Claremont?
Cynthia Howard
Claremont, NH