On March 10, the Merrimack County Delegation met for a public hearing and to vote on the 2023 County Budget proposed in the amount of $103,061,963 that had been thoroughly reviewed by respective parties’ sub and executive committees over the past few months.

During the public hearing, Administrator Ross L Cunningham reviewed a PowerPoint presentation, and Sheriff David Croft presented information regarding his office’s budgetary needs, and answered questions about recruitment efforts. It was explained that the initial proposed increase had been set at 2.76%, but after much hard work, the increase was reduced to 1.36%, which seemed fair and reasonable given post-pandemic economic factors driving up costs.

The prior five years averaged a tax increase of .34%. No members of the public testified at the hearing, after which, the budget was approved by 93% of the delegates in attendance.  With no constituents or other delegates contacting me to express opposition to any part of the proposal and believing praiseworthy government must be reasonably sustained, I voted in the affirmative. Provided for constituent’s information is comprehensive information on the budget found published on the Merrimack County website: merrimackcounty.net.