Town Meetings

March 11. 2013 8:58PM

Londonderry voters face choices on school safety, new vehicles

By APRIL GUILMET
Union Leader Correspondent

LONDONDERRY - A new school resource officer, ambulance and highway truck replacements, school safety upgrades, and a collective bargaining agreement with the town's executive employees are among the items Londonderry voters will ponder at the polls Tuesday.

Town Article 3, the proposed $27,525,281 municipal operating budget, is slightly more than $100,000 less than the default budget. If passed, Article 3 would require the town to raise $16,378,149 in property taxes, resulting in a tax rate impact of $4.74 per thousand dollars of assessed property value.

Article 4, which asks residents to approve $710,000 for the replacement of ambulances, fire trucks and other town vehicles, would use $400,000 in capital reserve funds with the end result of a $310,000 tax impact. If passed, the article would have a tax impact of 9 cents per thousand dollars.

Article 8 asks residents to approve $101,000 for the hiring of a school resource officer. If passed, the article would have a tax impact of 3 cents per thousand dollars.

Article 9, a collective bargaining agreement between the town and the Londonderry Executive Employees Association would have zero tax impact in the coming year but would cost an estimated $13,668 the following year to reflect salaries and benefits changes.

If all of the town's warrant items pass at the polls today, the combined tax impact would be $17,089,149, or an impact of $5.01 per thousand dollars.

On the school side is Article 2, a $4.5 million bonded article for district-wide school renovations and construction. If passed, the town would be required to raise $75,000 in the coming year for the initial bond payment, resulting in a residential tax rate impact of 2 cents per thousand dollars.

Article 3, the district's proposed $66,052,16 operating budget, would have an estimated tax impact of $12.75 per thousand dollars if passed. If all the school district's warrant articles pass at the polls today, the combined tax impact would be $66,751,667 or an impact of $12.96 per thousand dollars.

Voting on all town and school warrant items will take place today at Londonderry High School. The polls will be open from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m.

aguilmet@newstote.com