On December 12, the Merrimack County Delegation met for an organizational meeting (elect officers) and a public hearing on the 2023 budget. The election of Chair, Vice-Chair, and Clerk went by party lines – all democrat. As a State Representative, you are also elected to your local county delegation. There are 45 Merrimack County representatives with a 25 D to 20 R breakdown.
The public hearing was open and closed without testimony. The county administrator presented the budget with a proposed increase of 2.9%. On $102 M, that is almost $3 M! To be fair, he also presented a history of flat spending over the last three years. Since this budget reflects nearly a 50/50 split between tax revenue and income, a more careful analysis is required before fully understanding the trends.
For property taxpayers, your bill will reflect this payment under County. You will find that this is about 10% of your tax bill. You can count on Cyril and me for fiscal responsibility, and we will do our best to bring this down. Every financial source predicts a tough economic period, and we need to control spending. As part of the minority, we will vote to get it right and look for every opportunity. You have our word.
Merrimack County gave us a great breakdown of departments within the County. Please read Merrimack County Make Up to learn more about where your property tax dollars are going.