Annual report of the Town of Hampton, New Hampshire

BOARD OF SELECTMEN ANNUAL REPORT
As 1 991 drew to a close, we looked back on an exceptionally busy year,
with many long hours spent in meetings.
In
March, we welcomed Arthur Moody and Dick Bolduc as our new
Selectmen. Then came the very difficult task, especially for a new Board, of
deciding on spending freezes of over $600,000 in the operating budget.
Due to an assessing error in the mid-80's, we were liable in 1 989 for a
1.5 million dollar abatement owed to PSNH. The first adjustment was
reflected in the 1 989 tax rate. In January, 1 990, the abatement was paid, but
a clerical error resulted in only half a million dollars calculated in that years
tax rate. When the Budget Committee made up the 1991 budget, the last
$500,000 was inserted to complete the payback, but $500,000 was
reduced from the TAN interest account which left a substantial shortfall in
the operating budget. The entire payment process has now been completed,
and by means of drastic freezes in
1991 we made up the shortfall
and ended the year with an approximate half million dollar surplus which
will go to reduce the 1 992 tax rate.
In these hard economic times, with bank failures, decreased revenues,
reduced state and federal assistance and lower property valuations, we
have responded by proposing level-funding for the 1 992 budget. As youknow,
we are responsible for billing and collecting the total tax warrant each
year. Funds are then disbursed to the Hampton School District, Winnacunnet
Cooperative School District and Rockingham County. In 1991, with our
47% share of the tax dollar we provided all of the services required for this
community except for education, the county jail facility and county nursing
home. According to the NH Department of Revenue Administration's 1 990
figures, with the 9th lowest tax rate of the 37 towns in Rockingham County,
and the 75th lowest tax rate of the 253 communities in New Hampshire, we
provided town clerical and bookkeeping services, assessing, planning and
zoning, building and health inspection, mosquito control, conservation,
parking lots, library, parks and recreation, welfare, curbside solid waste and
recycling collection, street lights, hydrant rental, debt service, TAN borrowing,
operation and maintenance of the sewer treatment plant as well as fire
protection (including ambulance with certified
EMT's), police protection
(including motorcycles, special response team and mounted patrol), public
works (including highways, sewers and drains). We administer a community
that receives more services for the tax dollar than any other in this state.
This year we made a conscientious effort to streamline operations and
ensure greater fiscal control. We initiated a computerized purchase order
and account encumbrance system, required preapproval of all purchase
orders over $1,000, and placed a general freeze on hiring. Approval was
given for a leased computer system tailored to the needs of the Police
Department as recommended in the PERF report, to increase accountability
and efficiency.
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