NORTH HAVERHILL — The Grafton County budget for the new fiscal year provides a total tax decrease for the second consecutive year but removes funding for two “vital” positions sought by the county commissioners.
On June 24 the Grafton County delegation, by a 17-0 vote, approved a county operating budget of $49.8 million for the 2023 fiscal year, with $26.5 million to be raised by taxes.
The new budget, despite increasing spending over $1.1 million from the 2022 fiscal year, has a total tax decrease of about $440,000, attributable in part to the use of $5 million from the county fund balance, a reserve fund used to stabilize tax impacts and $288,000 in budget reductions to the final proposal.
Members of the delegation who served on the budget committee called the final budget proposal a “reasonable” compromise between parties who sought additional spending for county needs and those who wanted to reduce the tax impact.
“Not everyone will be ecstatic about the results, but I think that we’ve come to a consensus that there’s enough in this budget to be happy about and to support,” said Delegation Chairman George Sykes, a Democratic state representative from Lebanon.
The Grafton County Commissioners had originally proposed a $50.1 million operating budget, with $26.9 million to be raised in taxes. This proposal originally planned to use $1.9 million of the county’s $17 million in American Rescue Plan Act funds to offset costs, though the final budget version removed the inclusion of ARPA money when updated revenue projections for the new fiscal year were higher than originally anticipated.
Members of the delegation made additional changes to the final budget to reduce spending and the tax impact, including an additional $500,000 from the county budget surplus.
The delegates also cut proposed spending to hire up to three new positions: a recruitment and retention specialist, a full-time emergency services dispatcher and a maintenance assistant.
Two of the three county commissioners strongly objected to these cuts.
“I was surprised and disappointed (by the budget cuts),” said Commissioner Wendy Piper, who represents Lebanon, Hanover and Enfield. “Two of these new positions, for the full-time dispatcher and maintenance assistant, were really needed.”
The dispatcher and maintenance assistant positions have been unbudgeted for over two budget cycles, the commission stated in a letter to Grafton County communities in May.
Grafton County provides emergency dispatch services to county municipalities as well as communities in Coos County, which pays a fee for those services.
The expansion of communities using the dispatch has increased county revenue but also the demand on the program, Piper said. In the past the department has employed dispatchers part-time, though when these positions are not filled Thomas Andross, the dispatch director, has frequently had to fill the role, in addition to his other duties.
The maintenance assistant position was an entry-level role to provide additional workforce to keep up with tasks such as painting, mowing and other property maintenance. Though the county hired an assistant superintendent, that is a higher-skilled position with administrative responsibilities, Piper said.
Piper noted that the assistant superintendent has been unable to complete training for many administrative tasks due to the volume of property maintenance tasks and a lack of staff to handle them.
“Our department heads work very hard, and we have strong confidence in them,” Piper said. “The assistant superintendent just has not been freed up to be trained.”
State Rep. Ned Gordon, R-Bristol, vice chairman of the delegation, defended the final budget at the June 24 meeting, calling it “responsible” and “appropriate” in both spending and the amount being raised by taxes.
“I know that there have been some concerns expressed with regard to positions,” Gordon said. “But our delegation doesn’t control hiring and firing. … If the commissioners decide they want to hire those positions, they can hire those positions. They just have to do it within the budget we’ve given them today.”
The commissioners’ original proposal also had a smaller total tax reduction from the 2022 fiscal year of $42,574, or 0.16%.
“We had already given (the delegates) an extremely responsible budget,” Piper said.
The new budget includes $750,000 in new spending to fund a new employee compensation plan, aimed at keeping county wages competitive with the regional market.
A comprehensive wage study conducted last year determined that county wages were below market by nearly 3%, according to the commission’s budget overview.
The new wage system will give all employees a wage increase of at least 50 cents per hour, and all employees who are not at their maximum pay level will be eligible this year for a step increase on their hiring date anniversary.
The county budget also increased spending in anticipation of higher operating costs stemming from inflation and fuel prices, according to the commission’s letter to the communities.
Patrick Adrian can be reached at pfadrian25@gmail.com.