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Record of Proceedings

Claremont City Council Meeting - December 1, 2025: Tax Rate Review and Adjournment

City Council — Monday, December 1, 2025
BodyClaremont, New Hampshire
SessionCity Council
DateMonday, December 1, 2025
StatusFILED
Video Record
0:00 / 4:58

Transcript — Verbatim
0:00

Yes.

0:02

Good evening.

0:02

Welcome to Clarmo City Council meeting for Monday, December 1st, 2025.

0:07

Council Zuter, would you mind leading us in the pledge?

0:10

I pledge allegiance to the United States of America and to the Republic for which it stands.

0:17

One nation, either God, indivisible with liberty and justice for all.

0:23

Thank you.

0:26

Miss Bates, would you mind doing a roll call for us?

0:30

Yes.

0:32

Councilor McCloskey.

0:33

Present.

0:34

Counselor Green Rose.

0:35

Yeah.

0:36

Councilor Moe.

0:37

Here.

0:37

Assistant Mayor Matt.

0:39

Here.

0:39

Counselor Zutter.

0:40

Present.

0:41

Counselor Hemingway.

0:42

Here.

0:43

Counselor Hayden.

0:44

Hello.

0:44

Here.

0:44

Councilor O'Hearn.

0:45

Here.

0:46

Mayor.

0:47

Here.

0:48

Thank you.

0:50

First thing under new business is we're going to be doing a review of the tax year 2025 final tax rate setting.

0:57

Ms.

0:57

Bates.

0:58

So back in the beginning of the budget meetings.

1:02

We had discussed overlay and how that affected the tax rate.

1:07

So I had to promise the board that or the council that I would bring it back the tax rate setting back to you before I set the final rate with the overlay.

1:15

So what you're seeing in front of you here is the draft or preliminary tax rate, including $75,000 overlay, which was recommended by the assessor.

1:27

So the the preliminary rate is $30.54 per thousand.

1:47

Questions for Ms.

1:49

Bates in regards to the tax rate.

1:53

I know that you had taken the time to look at the rate from 2024 to 2025.

2:09

The municipal portion, not the overall tax rate, but the municipal portion.

2:14

Okay.

2:14

The increase you're seeing is the uh education and the county tax.

2:19

And just to clarify, the education local is based upon the school budget that was approved back in March.

2:28

Correct.

2:29

Thank you.

2:30

Okay.

2:31

Councilor Hearn.

2:32

And what's the exact increase of the school's portion?

2:36

Um the tax rate.

2:38

I'm thinking it was 8.9%.

2:41

8.8.8.88.

2:43

Thank you.

2:44

Counselor Zutter has your notes there.

2:46

So thank you.

2:51

Other questions?

2:54

So the overall tax rate increase based upon these figures is just a hair over 4%.

3:00

Is that about what you were recall?

3:03

So all total, yeah.

3:04

So okay.

Discussion Breakdown — Share of Meeting
Procedural█████████████████████████████████████████████68%
Budget Equity Analysis█████████████████████32%
Summary of Proceedings

Claremont City Council Meeting - December 1, 2025

The Claremont City Council met on Monday, December 1, 2025, to review the final tax rate setting for tax year 2025 and to handle routine council matters. The meeting was led by the Mayor and included a moment of silence for a councilor's loss. The primary discussion centered on the proposed municipal tax rate and the inclusion of an overlay. The council then adjourned.

Discussion Items

  • Tax Year 2025 Final Tax Rate Setting: Ms. Bates presented the draft preliminary tax rate, including a $75,000 overlay as recommended by the assessor. The proposed rate is $30.54 per thousand, up from the 2024 rate of $29.26. Ms. Bates reported that the overall tax rate increase is just over 4%. The municipal portion did not increase; the increase came from the education and county taxes. The education local portion rose by approximately 8.88%, based on the school budget approved in March. Councilor O'Hearn and Councilor Zutter asked clarifying questions. Ms. Bates emphasized that bringing the rate setting back to the council was intended to ensure transparency, as last year there was confusion about how the overlay was added.
  • Moment of Silence: The Mayor requested a moment of silence for the loss of a councilor's mother, which the council observed.

Key Outcomes

  • No formal vote was taken on the tax rate; the presentation was for discussion and transparency. The council accepted the information.
  • The Mayor noted that he would forward paperwork to Ms. Bates from the prior meeting.
  • A motion to adjourn was made, seconded, and carried by a voice vote (all in favor, none opposed).

Meeting Transcript

Yes. Good evening. Welcome to Clarmo City Council meeting for Monday, December 1st, 2025. Council Zuter, would you mind leading us in the pledge? I pledge allegiance to the United States of America and to the Republic for which it stands. One nation, either God, indivisible with liberty and justice for all. Thank you. Miss Bates, would you mind doing a roll call for us? Yes. Councilor McCloskey. Present. Counselor Green Rose. Yeah. Councilor Moe. Here. Assistant Mayor Matt. Here. Counselor Zutter. Present. Counselor Hemingway. Here. Counselor Hayden. Hello. Here. Councilor O'Hearn. Here. Mayor. Here. Thank you. First thing under new business is we're going to be doing a review of the tax year 2025 final tax rate setting. Ms. Bates. So back in the beginning of the budget meetings. We had discussed overlay and how that affected the tax rate. So I had to promise the board that or the council that I would bring it back the tax rate setting back to you before I set the final rate with the overlay. So what you're seeing in front of you here is the draft or preliminary tax rate, including $75,000 overlay, which was recommended by the assessor. So the the preliminary rate is $30.54 per thousand. Questions for Ms. Bates in regards to the tax rate. I know that you had taken the time to look at the rate from 2024 to 2025. The municipal portion, not the overall tax rate, but the municipal portion. Okay. The increase you're seeing is the uh education and the county tax. And just to clarify, the education local is based upon the school budget that was approved back in March. Correct. Thank you. Okay. Councilor Hearn. And what's the exact increase of the school's portion? Um the tax rate.

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