New Hampshire Republicans have been attempting to explain away the reason for N.H.’s increasing property taxes, some claiming that the leadership in Concord is not directly responsible and others blaming the increase on the high cost of education funding.
For example, in an effort to stem these increased costs, the Republican majority, with the help of Gov. Kelly Ayotte, has set a cap on school spending by enacting HB 1300 into law. In the past, the Republican majority has tried multiple times to impose a school budget cap and those efforts failed. This time, Republicans amended HB 1300 to bypass the usual process and have forced the question onto the November general election ballot.
Concord has responsibilities, and local officials have responsibilities as well. Additional state aid can relieve pressure on property taxpayers, but it cannot substitute for examining and scrutinizing the growth of school and municipal budgets. We need to understand which costs are unavoidable, which reflect local choices, and whether services can be delivered more efficiently. An explanation centered on decisions in Concord remains incomplete without that examination. Asking the state to meet its obligations and asking local government to control costs are entirely compatible.
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Concord has responsibilities, and local officials have responsibilities as well. Additional state aid can relieve pressure on property taxpayers, but it cannot substitute for examining and scrutinizing the growth of school and municipal budgets. We need to understand which costs are unavoidable, which reflect local choices, and whether services can be delivered more efficiently. An explanation centered on decisions in Concord remains incomplete without that examination. Asking the state to meet its obligations and asking local government to control costs are entirely compatible.
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Keep it Clean. Please avoid obscene, vulgar, lewd, racist or sexually-oriented language.
PLEASE TURN OFF YOUR CAPS LOCK.
Don't Threaten. Threats of harming another person will not be tolerated.
Be Truthful. Don't knowingly lie about anyone or anything.
Be Nice. No racism, sexism or any sort of -ism that is degrading to another person.
Be Proactive. Use the 'Report' link on each comment to let us know of abusive posts.
Share with Us. We'd love to hear eyewitness accounts, the history behind an article.