Hooksett Budget Committee Reviews FY2028 Budgets and Draft Rules on October 29, 2026

The Hooksett Budget Committee met on October 29, 2026, to review the Town Council's recommended FY 2028 municipal budgets and discuss draft committee rules. Presentations covered the Town Clerk, Tax Collector, Family Services, Finance, Debt/TIF, Budget Committee, Cemetery, and Conservation Commission budgets. Wastewater review was deferred, and the committee began discussing the new default budget process. All figures are Town Council recommendations under review, not final appropriations.

Consent Calendar

• Minutes of the previous meeting were approved by voice vote; no opposition was heard.

Public Comments & Testimony

• No public comments were offered during the public input period.

Town Clerk and Elections Budget

• The Town Clerk was absent; the Town Administrator presented the FY 2028 recommended budget of $99,989, an increase of $3,528, or 3.66%, over FY 2027.
• An $11,669 town-wide increase from the MRI non-union salary study addressed underfunded part-time positions, including one in the Town Clerk's office. The public official stipend is proposed to rise from $4,700 to $8,500 to be more comparable with other towns.
• A $4,035 benefit line was identified as needing to be moved into the taxes line. Professional services decrease for elections, while equipment maintenance increases to cover possible polling machine failures.
• Polling pads were discussed as a warrant article; associated paper and printing costs would not be in the current operating budget but would affect the FY 2029 budget if approved.

Tax Collector Budget

• The recommended FY 2028 Tax Collector budget is $382,277, up $16,890, or 4.62%, from FY 2027. The department has four employees; health insurance was bookmarked at 12%, but actual rates are lower and will reduce the final figure.
• E-certified mail was described as a new one-part electronic certified mail program that saves about $1.32 per letter and reduces time spent tracking returned slips; the office is still adding it to the postage machine.
• The tax rate has not yet been set; the town is waiting in the Department of Revenue Administration queue.

Family Services Budget

• The FY 2028 recommended Family Services budget is $134,708, an increase of $1,087, or 0.81%, over FY 2027. The department has two part-time positions plus seasonal help.
• The welfare line is proposed at $50,000, an $8,000 reduction. Programs include Community Action Program $10,000, visiting nurses $2,400, home health and hospice $1,000, and bus transportation $15,180, with ridership increasing.
• In response to a question about lower shelter spending, the director explained that clients are referred to other agencies for longer-term assistance and town welfare is meant to be temporary and urgent.

Finance Department and Assistant Finance Director

• The FY 2028 recommended Finance budget is $395,641, up $70,212, or 21.58%, from FY 2027. The main driver is a proposed part-time assistant finance director at $60,000, 30 hours per week for 50 weeks, with no benefits, requiring a bachelor's degree in accounting.
• Finance Director Christine Tuxberry said the position follows two unsuccessful full-time warrant articles and would provide redundancy, reduce risk, and maintain continuity. Committee members expressed support, though one asked whether a full-time position split across departments could work; the director responded that the office has enough work for 30 hours and no current staff has the accounting capacity.
• Other Finance line items include training $840, banking services $6,500, GASB compliance $1,000, audit services $24,635, equipment maintenance $270, telephone $768, printing $1,000, and office supplies $625, with no new equipment.

Debt, TIF, and Budget Committee Budgets

• Debt service covers two notes: the safety center/fire engine note, in year 8 of 10 and paid from tax dollars, and the TIF district note, in year 6 of 9 and paid from TIF funds. The TIF note decreased by $4,845 for FY 2028.
• Proposed debt payments were listed as $102,267.50 for the safety center/fire engine note and $248,660 for the TIF note. Principal balances as of June 30 were reported as $285,000 and $870,000.
• One committee member suggested paying off the TIF note early and described himself as very anti-TIF, but it was noted that prepayment is likely not permitted because the notes are through the bond bank.
• The Budget Committee's own recommended budget is $6,976, a decrease of $256 because no longevity payment is budgeted; it includes $150 for advertising and $1 for postage.

Cemetery and Conservation Commission Budgets

• The Cemetery Commission budget is recommended at $1,402, an increase of $434, or 46.59%, over FY 2027. Labor is provided by DPW; the increase includes $1,000 in professional services to prepare for a paid sexton if the current volunteer sexton stops, plus $200 for ground maintenance.
• The Conservation Commission budget was presented as $1,905 and described as unchanged from FY 2027. A typo in the summary was noted, with the detailed page referenced for accurate line items. Training funds support New Hampshire Municipal Association workshops and conservation expertise used by land-use boards.

Budget Committee Rules, Procedures, and Default Budget

• Leanne presented a draft rules and procedures document covering membership composition, vacancies, attendance, quorum, voting rules, Robert's Rules, budget preparation and review, public hearings, warrant article recommendations, and default budget responsibilities. The draft states that ex officio members do not count for quorum and requires members to be physically present to vote unless compliant with electronic meeting law.
• Members discussed adding a 'what to expect' process manual for new members and possibly creating a subcommittee to draft it; the rules document will be revised and discussed again next week.
• Finance Director Christine Tuxberry explained that the default budget starts from the Department of Revenue Administration's operating budget, includes items approved by voters or mandated by law, and does not include contracts such as tipping fees unless voters directly approved them. The committee planned to continue default budget discussions at the next meeting.

Key Outcomes

• No votes were taken on the FY 2028 budget figures; the meeting was a review session.
• The committee voted to approve the minutes and later adjourned by voice vote.
• Wastewater and the default budget are scheduled for continued discussion next week, and the Town Council is expected to act on health insurance costs, with a revised council budget anticipated afterward.
• The Conservation Commission budget typo and the draft rules/procedures document will be corrected and revised for future discussion.