Nashua Budget Review Committee Meeting – June 11, 2026
Nashua Budget Review Committee Meeting – June 11, 2026
The Budget Review Committee of the Nashua Board of Aldermen met on June 11, 2026, to continue its wrap-up of the proposed Fiscal Year 2027 budget. The committee heard public comment, considered multiple amendments, and voted on several motions. The session ended with a motion to table the budget until the next wrap-up meeting on June 12, 2026.
Consent Calendar
- The committee accepted a communication from Director of Administrative Services Tim Cummings and CFO Don Enright regarding a technical amendment reducing the FY27 budget by $288,679.
- Three documents from the CFO were accepted and placed on file: trust fund zero balances, proposed closures for trust funds, and a trust fund financial report as of March 31, 2026.
- A motion to recommend final passage of ordinance 026039 (discontinuing 11 expendable trust funds) passed unanimously by roll call (6–0).
Public Comments & Testimony
- Fred T-Boom (resident) commented on the proposed budget, stating that based on his calculations the tax rate increase would be approximately 7.95% (using a city valuation of $16 billion). He argued that to reduce the increase to 3%, the city would need to cut $14 million, applying a rough rule of $2.89 million per percentage point. He suggested specific cuts: $5 million from the school department (citing redundant administrative positions), $1.5 million from administrative services, $1.5 million from other departments, and a $6 million transfer from the fund balance. He called the current situation unacceptable.
Discussion Items
- Budget Amendment (Goldenrod Copy): CFO Don Enright presented a memo with two schedules—Schedule A correcting FICA/Medicare and pension amounts, and Schedule B detailing salary adjustments. The committee voted to amend the mayor’s proposed budget (R-26-028) by replacing it with the goldenrod copy. The motion passed 6–0. The revised general fund budget totals $383,999,636, a 6.34% increase over FY26.
- Mayor’s Remarks: Mayor Jim Donchess appeared briefly, answering questions about the proposed Strategic Communications Manager position. He defended the need for improved communications, noting the decline of local newspaper coverage. Alderman Paula Johnson questioned the overlap with existing economic development staff and expressed reluctance to fund the $50,000 position. The mayor countered that larger cuts (e.g., $12 million) would be needed to reduce the tax rate meaningfully and would require layoffs of police, fire, or teachers.
- Office of Strategic Communications: Alderman Derek Thibodeau made a motion to eliminate all funding for the Office of Strategic Communications (Department 104), reducing it to zero. The motion passed 4–2. A subsequent motion by Alderman David Dowd to add $50,000 for a contracted communications assessment failed 3–3 (tie).
- School Budget Cuts: Alderman Paula Johnson questioned Superintendent of Schools Dr. Michael Gray about unfilled crossing guard positions and the elimination of 50 positions (21 teaching, 18 paraeducators/behavioral techs, etc.). She then moved to cut $400,000 from the school budget bottom line, citing a duplicate redistricting study. The motion failed 1–5.
- Fire Department Deferred Maintenance: Alderman Thibodeau moved to add $75,000 to the fire department’s deferred maintenance account (capital improvements). The motion passed 5–1.
- Human Resources Consulting: Alderman Tim Senate moved to reduce the HR consulting line item (53142) by $50,000 (from $150,000 to $100,000), with the intent of prioritizing a human resources audit. The motion passed 4–2.
- Library Budget: Alderman Johnson moved to level-fund the library (Department 179) at its FY26 adopted amount of $4,108,344, a reduction of $14,536. Library Director Jennifer McCormick noted that a cut of $14,000 could force the closure of 8–10 Sunday hours. The motion failed 1–5.
- School Deferred Maintenance: Alderman Thibodeau moved to add $200,000 to the school system’s deferred maintenance account (capital improvements), citing the need to address a $13.43 million backlog of deferred maintenance across 20 buildings. The motion passed 5–1.
Key Outcomes
- Budget Amendment (Goldenrod) Adopted: 6–0 in favor.
- Office of Strategic Communications Eliminated (to zero): 4–2 in favor.
- Add $75,000 for Fire Deferred Maintenance: 5–1 in favor.
- Reduce HR Consulting by $50,000: 4–2 in favor.
- Add $200,000 for School Deferred Maintenance: 5–1 in favor.
- Add $50,000 for Communications Consultant: Failed 3–3 (tie).
- Cut $400,000 from School Budget: Failed 1–5.
- Level Fund Library: Failed 1–5.
- Budget Tabled: The committee voted 6–0 to table R-26-028 until the next wrap-up session on June 12, 2026, where further amendments and a final passage vote are expected.
After the motions, Alderman Thibodeau apologized to Alderman Lopez for a misunderstanding, and Alderman Lopez clarified his comments about the resource center. The meeting adjourned at 9:07 p.m.
Meeting Transcript
And the first item we have a couple items. We have one item before the uh public hearing on the budget. I mean the wrap up on the budget. So but we do have public comment. Anyone would like to speak in public comment on anything that's active on the agenda this evening. Uh yes, thank you. My name is Fred T-Boom, and I don't intend to come to any more budget meetings, but just a wrap-up. So what I did is I mentioned the uh during public hearing, I mentioned the uh tax rate. So I went and sharpened the pencil, did some more calculating and turns out that uh given the proposed budget, you're facing a tax rate increase of 7.95%. Now I may be up by a few tenths of a percent on that because uh donor and right to CFO will have more accurate data since you feel like to note the exemptions, but now use the value that's on the MS1 form, which assigns a settlement value of the city of 16 billion, got 16 billion. So 7.95 percent tax rate increase is a very large number. To get this number reduced down to 3%, which I think is a reasonable number and limit for rate of inflation, you've got to cut $14 million, and a rough rule to use is it's about $2.89 million dollars for every percent and either increase or reduction in the tax rate. 2.89 million. Now I suggest that uh you ask uh CFO and right to produce the actual calculation that should have an actual exemptions and slightly more accurate figures. But this is a sad situation. 8% on top of 6% last year, it's just unacceptable. You have to cut, and then I can suggest some cuts. I think you need to cut the school department by bottom line by about five million dollars. You heard that the top level in the school department is a highly paid and uh redundant positions in terms of what they do. That came out of the public hearing. Uh they never addressed the uh the administrative staff, they only laid off two people, I think, and the 35s. The other cut you should do in administrative services of about 1.5 million. That is the second largest increase. I think it's just an attempt by uh Cummings to uh power his department. It's I think it's over three million dollar increase, a ridiculous increase. 1.5 million cut in the administrative services, then cut from all the other departments another 1.5 million, and you're at uh six million. No, you're at eight million, and where do you get the remaining six million? You get that from a transfer from the fund balance. It's a large transfer, but that's how you get to 14 million again. Five million dollars school department, one point five million dollars administrative services, one point five million of the other departments is six million dollar transfer. That would be acceptable if you think that spending all this money is appropriate to do a survey of the city and find out what city residents think about tax increase. Thank you. Thank you. Anyone else public comment? See new one communications. Uh we have uh from Tim Cummings, Director of Administrative Services and Don Enright CFO regarding communication reduce in fiscal year 27 budget down by 288,679 dollars through a technical amendment. There being no objection, I'll accept the communication and place it on file. Without objection, I'd like to suspend the rules to allow for three documents that were received from CFO and right after the agenda was prepared. Uh trust fund zero balances closed, proposed closures for trust funds and trust fund financial report as of March 31st, 2026. There being no objection, I'll accept those and place them on file. Unfinished business. Nine first item on the agenda. Discontinuing 11 expendable trust funds. Mr. Chairman, I would like to make a motion to recommend final passage. Okay. The motion is to recommend to the full board final passage of 026039. Are there any questions? I think we had an explanation of the public hearing, but uh is there any additional questions? Seeing none, please uh call for the vote.
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