Manchester School Budget Busts Tax Cap Busted
Manchester Board of Mayor and Aldermen voted to approve a $353 million fiscal year 2020 budget.
The budget provides $176 million for schools and $156.6 million for city services, and overrides the city tax cap.
This marks the fourth straight year aldermen have voted to override the tax cap.
The voter-approved tax cap allows for a 2.03 percent tax increase next fiscal year.
This budget exceeds that cap by 1.26 percent, operating at a 3.29 percent tax hike.
Mayor Joyce Craig’s proposal included an additional $4.3 million for the Manchester School District.
Aldermen added $2.3 million, for a total of $6.6 million in additional school funding over last year.
Voting in favor of the budget and to override the tax cap were the following aldermen.
Kevin Cavanaugh, Will Stewart, Tim Baines, Chris Herbert, Tony Sapienza, Bill Shea, Barbara Shaw, Bill Barry, Normand Gamache, and Chairman Dan O’Neil.
Shaw stated “I don’t like going over the tax cap more than anyone else, but the schools in this city are on a roll. I don’t think that this small amount (of an override) is a major issue.”
Opposed were aldermen Keith Hirschmann, Elizabeth Moreau, John Cataldo and Joe Kelly Levasseur.
Craig declined to veto the board’s 10-4 vote. Ten votes are needed to override a mayoral veto.
Craig thanked the aldermen for working hard on a budget that “best addresses the needs of our city and boosted school funding. No budget is perfect, but what is most important is that we found common ground.”
Mayoral candidate Victoria Sullivan criticized Craig’s decision not to veto, calling it “unacceptable.”
School board vice chair Art Beaudry said he was “extremely happy” with the budget vote.
“Voters pass Tax Cap legislation to restrain growth in spending and encourage the pursuit of efficiencies rather that just passing costs on to the Taxpayers”, said Granite State Taxpayers Chairman Ray Chadwick.
“If their representatives ignore their direction, voters need to elect representatives who heed them.”