Gatsas: Cap needs to reflect real revenues
Manchester Mayor Ted Gatsas is looking to modify the city’s tax cap and he’ll be asking the Board of Mayor and Aldermen to approve an amendment to the city’s charter at tonight’s meeting.
According to a letter Gatsas sent the board, the proposed change would allow for the use of any additional assessed valuation since the previous budget year when developing and adopting the combined municipal budget. The current cap does not allow the city to use revenues generated by new property tax valuation as it caps the amount of money that can be raised by property taxes at the rate of inflation over the prior three years irrespective of valuation. If the board approves the amendment, it will be put through the paces of a public hearing and various reviews before ending up on the ballot in November. If approved by the voters, it would take effect on July first of next year. If the aldermen don’t approve the amendment tonight, it can’t make the ballot in the fall. We’ve posted Gatsas’ letter to the board, the proposed language change and the time line governing the amendment process for your review with this newscast at Girard at Large dot com.
Gatsas to DHS: MHT in no position to absorb illegal border crossers, especially children
Also on tonight’s agenda is a letter Gatsas sent to the Department of Homeland Security basically saying don’t think about sending any border children to Manchester if there are any plans to bring any of them to this state. Gatsas recounts the various reasons why the city might be an attractive place to resettle border children, but concludes by saying quote: “At this time the city of Manchester does not have the appropriate public resources within our city or infrastructure within our schools to accommodate an influx of illegal immigrants, especially children. In the past the City of Manchester has requested a moratorium on refugee resettlement because of our strained resources. I understand very clearly that this situation is not classified as “refugee resettlement” however our resources remain strained.”
McIntyre: Looking for city loan to improve facilities
Other items of interest on tonight’s agenda include a request from the management of the McIntyre Ski Area for a quarter of a million dollar loan from the city to do improvements at the city owned facility. It would be for eight years at three percent if approved and seems to have the blessings of City Finance Officer Bill Sanders. There’s also a proposed agreement with Public Service Company of New Hampshire that would convert the city’s street lights to L E D lighting. No details were included with the agenda, but Gatsas has said in the past it could save the city about three hundred grand a year once energy savings were offset by the city’s cost of bonding the new lights.
News from our own backyard continues after this.
Livingston: Bonding request given preliminarhy approval
Last night, the Manchester Board of Mayor and Aldermen’s Community Improvement Committee gave the initial go ahead to the Manchester School District’s request to spend a million dollars to hire an architect that will develop the plans and bid specs to enclose classrooms at Beech Street and Webster schools and build additions onto the Manchester School of Technology. All totaled, the estimated work of the three projects is nearly fifteen million dollars, the debt service on which the district says it believes it can handle in its budget. The committee also gave approval to continue with improvements to the Derryfield Country Club, which when is all said and done, could cost as much as three million dollars to clear the drainage issues that have plagued the course and caused a sharp decline in membership.
Hirschmann: Traffic light request must “go through process.”
A bid by Ward Twelve Alderman Keith Hirschmann to put a stop light at the intersection of Goffstown Road and Montgomery Street was basically met with a “wait in line” response at the Committee on Traffic and Public Safety. Hirschmann’s demanding a light there in wake of a fatal motorcycle accident that claimed two lives, saying he tried to get it done in nineteen ninety eight, but was blocked by an unnamed alderman. Committee Chairman pro-tempore Patrick Long and Public Works Department officials pointed to state and regional planning commission studies that either didn’t show the intersection to be dangerous or that it was far down the list of problem intersections in the city and that it had to go through the process like requests from everybody else.
Hemingway: Hosting Second Amendment celebration and fund raiser
G O P gubernatorial candidate Andrew Hemingway, will host a Second Amendment celebration with “Hemingway 2-A Day!” The event will serve both to honor the rights of the Second Amendment, and Hemingway’s commitment to maintain the sanctity of those rights in New Hampshire, and as a fund raiser for his campaign. Attendees will be invited to participate in a Battle of the Sexes, target competitions, trap and skeet, machine gun shoot and more events designed to thrill gun enthusiasts. In addition, there will be youth activities including fishing on site. There will be food vendors, ice cream and more for the whole family to enjoy. Dozens of prizes and raffle items will be offered through the day with items such as: Nascar tickets, restaurant gift certificates, ammunition, firearms accessories, yoga and facial gift certificates and even a custom designed AR-15. The event will be held on August sixteenth at the Londonderry Fish and Game Club. We’ve linked to the event’s details for your convenience.
Havenstein: Releasing economic vision today
Republican candidate for Governor Walt Havenstein will outline his economic vision for New Hampshire today at Herrick Tech Labs in the Queen City. Herrick Tech Labs is a business that emerged from Sanders, which eventually became part of B A E Systems, the outfit Havenstein served as C E O. At this morning’s event, Havenstein will provide details of his 8.15.17 policy agenda. Not sure what that means, but we’re looking forward to the details.
That’s news from our own backyard, Girard at Large hour ___ is straight ahead.
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