Town Meetings Vote to Increase Net Appropriations by 2.9% over 2017

March 22, 2018 • Saved under Town Meeting
By Ed Hiller, Budget Committee

This article was updated on March 23, 2018

The 2018 annual meetings of the Town of Andover, the Andover School District and the Andover Fire District voted to raise and appropriate their budgets for the coming year.  The total appropriations (net of pass-throughs) are $7,735,311, up $220,126 over last year, an increase of 2.9%.
The Town expects to receive reimbursement from the State of 80% of the $620,000 that was appropriated in 2017 for rebuilding the Morrill Hill Road Bridge. This reimburse¬ment is $496,000. The amount that can be used to offset taxes will be determined by NH-DRA guidelines regarding maintaining a prudent General Fund balance.  

Andover School District Meeting

The Andover School District Meeting approved the Budget Committee’s recommended budget of $5,476,537, up 2.6% over last year.   This included approval of a new three-year teachers’ contract for increases in salaries and benefits of $34,860 each of the three years.
Andover Town Meeting

The Annual Town Meeting voted to reduce the 2018 Operating Budget recommended by the Budget Committee by $25,000 to $1,804,127.

Warrant articles to add $273,976 to several previously established Capital Reserve Funds and to add $46,000 to several previously established Expendable Trust Funds were approved.

The Meeting rejected the Warrant Article to purchase for $100,000 a tract of land for a source of highway sand.  It also rejected a Warrant Article to renew the establishment of the Town Contingency Fund with funding of $10,000.

The total appropriations voted were $2,127,057.  Offsetting revenue of $2,954 voted from the General Fund reduces this amount to a net appropriation of $2,124,103.  This is up from the 2017 net appropriation by $77,209 (3.8%). Receipt from the State of reimbursement for the 2017 expenditure for the Morrill Hill Road Bridge can significantly offset this increase.

Andover Fire District Meeting

The Andover Fire District voted to appropriate $137,326 as recommended by the Commissioners and the Budget Committee.  Offsetting revenues reduce the net appropriation to $134,671.