CLAREMONT — The City Council will begin review this week of the city manager’s proposed 2026-27 budget, which is up 3.6%, from the current fiscal year ending June 30.
The proposed $20.6 million spending plan includes money to redesign the city’s website and other technology costs, along with a maintenance plan for the municipal parking lot off Broad Street, City Manager Nancy Bates said in her budget letter to the council.
Among major contributors to the overall increase are the police department budget, up 8.5%; streets and roads, 5.3%; and the fire department, 4.7%.
Bates is also recommending using about $230,000 of the city’s surplus fund balance to offset some of the tax increase.
The amount to be raised by taxes under the proposal is up $500,000 to $13.8 million.
If the council approves the budget as presented, it would raised the municipal tax rate 48 cents per $1,000 of assessed valuation, or 4.52%.
That would add about $120 to the annual tax bill of a property assessed at $250,000.
Bates also noted in her proposed budget that the current median equalization rate for city properties is 77%, which means properties are assessed at more than 20% below market value just three years after a citywide revaluation.
The budget proposal includes increases associated with two collective bargaining agreements and proposed changes to the city’s merit system for non-union employees.
Another part of the increase is for a previously unfunded police office position and money to increase the services of the consultant working with the city on the EPA Sugar River Revitalization Grant.
The Sugar River Revitalization Grant of $800,000 was awarded in 2023 and the Northern Borders Regional Commission awarded the city a second grant of $433,000 earlier this year. A steering committee is working on plans to redevelop the former industrial area off North Street along the Sugar River between Spring Street and Broad Street.
The proposal includes $700,000 for paving, which is the same as this year.
The budget for the community center is down 9%.
In his comments to the council in his streets and roads budget, Public Works Director Alex Gleeson said in the next fiscal year his department maintenance of sidewalks will be done on the west side of Pleasant Street from the former Rite Aid to Myrtle Street, and on Beechmont Street.
Paving is planned on 2.7 miles of road and is scheduled to include East Green Mountain Road, Beechmont Street, Veterans Park Road, Davis Street, Bellic Street, Cossitt Avenue, Edson Street, Acer Heights, LaPlante Avenue, Marcotte Avenue and Leslie Avenue.
On Tuesday, the council will start with a preliminary budget discussion of revenue projections and also review the debt service, the downtown tax increment finance district, assessing, welfare and library budgets.
The budget reviews continue May 9, May 13, May 16, May 27 and June 10. Meetings are public, but no public comment periods are planned.
The public hearing and budget vote are scheduled for June 24.
Patrick O’Grady can be reached at pogclmt@gmail.com.
