FY25 Budget
I share with you a lightly edited summary of key elements of the FY25 Concord City Budget prepared by Ward 1 City Councilor Brent Todd:
This past week, the proposed Fiscal Year 2025 budget was released by the City Manager. Following the 2.5%, 4.8%, and 4% tax increases the past three years, City Council will be deciding on the recommendation this year for a $170 million budget with a 3.89% tax increase. If approved, this increase in the City portion of our taxes would equate to $130 more annually on a property assessed at $350,000.
There are several factors causing the increase, including continuing inflation, a 15.5% health and dental insurance rate increase, a 5% increase in compensation, and cost increases for supplies and outside services. Utilities increased 11%, and debt service increased 8%. Miscellaneous expenses are up 14% and include a $130,000 increase in the Human Services Special Programs line (mainly rental/housing assistance). There is a $306,000 increase to the Solid Waste Fund to support a portion of the new solid waste contract that will go into effect on July 1, 2024.
The increase in the Capital Program portion of the budget is mainly due to four projects: the Sewer Main Rehabilitation Project from the Heights to the Hall Street Wastewater Treatment Plant at $16.9 million; Sewer Pump Station improvements on the Heights at $7.7 million; design of the new Police Headquarters on Bouton Street at $3.4 million; and the new Airport Terminal project for $5.1 million (of which about $1.4 million will come from the City). These four projects represent 99% of the total Capital Budget increase.
In addition to the proposed tax increase, a 7.75% water rate increase and an 8% wastewater rate increase is proposed. The proposed budget states the rate increases are necessary to meet ongoing operational increases and capital infrastructure needs.
The budget can be found here, with a helpful overview starting at page 16. Meetings will be held at 5:30 pm in Council Chambers on May 20 (discussing Police, Fire, General Services, General Government), May 23 (Library, Parks & Rec, Human Services, CIP projects, TIF Districts), and May 30 (Special Revenue Funds and Enterprise Funds), with a final meeting on June 3 to vote on approval. You can attend any of these meetings and speak to budget items, or send your thoughts to me, or to the City Clerk at cityclerk@concordnh.gov.
I welcome your comments and suggestions as Council works through the budget process.
***************Many thanks to Councilor Todd for this summary.***********************
McKee Square
Recently, the City Manager gave an update about the planning process for the redesign of McKee Square:
Status: Traffic studies and preliminary design concepts are underway. A community meeting to review the outcome of these efforts and receive feedback will occur in the coming months. The project is included in the State’s 10-Year Plan for construction in 2025. Eighty percent (80%) of the project will be financed with State grants.
New Solid Waste Contract
The new contract for solid waste services will entail automated collection. How to integrate the benefits of pay-as-you-throw (PAYT) with automated collection was discussed at the last Solid Waste Advisory Committee. The Committee was invited to watch a webinar on emerging technology that is becoming available that the Concord General Services Department has identified as the means by which the PAYT program may be maintained in an automated collection environment. The Committee watched the video here; https://vimeo.com/914943398?share=copy. Please take a look. It's quite intriguing.
Several residents have reached out and inquired about city-wide composting. We know that food waste comprises and enormous portion of solid waste, especially when measured by weight I look forward to learning about various options to increase composting of our solid waste.
Jim Schlosser
Ward 7 City Councilor
Concord, NH
781-879-2089
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