City Hall: City, school budgets can increase by nearly 5% in FY 2024

Jan. 14—PREPARE TO TIGHTEN your belt a little more.

The city and school budgets for the next fiscal year can increase by nearly 5%.

Sharon Wickens, the city's finance director, on Thursday notified aldermen of the official tax cap number, which is based on the three-year average change in the Consumer Price Index (CPI). Also on Thursday, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics released its CPI statistics for 2022.

This year's tax cap allowed for a 3.57% increase, but the actual tax rate came in at 3.16%.

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the CPI for All Urban Consumers (CPI-U) declined by 0.1% in December, putting the final increase over the past 12 months at 6.5%.

Combine that with the 2020 CPI-U figure of 1.40%, and 7% in 2021, and the three-year average used in preparation for the FY 2024 budget comes in at 4.96%.

Manchester operates under a cap on property taxes established by a voter-approved amendment to the city charter. Generally referred to as a tax cap, the charter provision limits the total amount of money raised from property taxes, rather than the tax rate itself.

The cap limits the city's tax revenue to the average increase in the federal consumer price index, or CPI, during the three previous calendar years, plus the value of new construction.

Under the city charter, the mayor must propose a city budget within the tax cap limitations. The charter gives aldermen the ability to override the cap.

Soccer teams merging

School board members have approved a request from Manchester Athletic Director Christine Telge to create a cooperative girls soccer team for Manchester Central and West high schools.

The merger carries no additional financial cost to the district.

According to Telge, the girls' soccer team at Manchester West — which has won one game in the past six seasons — currently has 15 players. Meanwhile, the number of participants at Manchester Central continues to decline, down to 24 players last year.

Telge told board members the decline in numbers in the programs at both schools is due in part to communities like Hooksett no longer sending their students to Manchester, along with a lack of feeder programs at lower school levels.

"In an effort to build participant numbers and to provide opportunities for skill development at Manchester West High School, we feel a cooperative team would be the appropriate step," Telge wrote in a memo to school board members. "Neither high school team has made cuts to their programs in the last 6 years."

Telge said the current girls' soccer coach at Manchester Central is excited for the opportunity to work with more athletes and fully aware of the NHIAA requirement that no players be cut.

"We hope that this is only a 2-year commitment with both teams able to compete on their own with a strong feeder program in 2025," Telge wrote.

School officials have yet to decide whether the team will practice at West's George W. Smith Complex or at Central's Padden Field.

Home games may take place on an alternating schedule between Gill Stadium and Veterans Memorial Field.

Cleaning of Cashin Center

City health officials issued a release last week detailing cleaning operations at the Cashin Center, after residents aired concerns with the site being used as an overnight shelter.

According to the release, the Cashin Center is currently being cleaned and disinfected with an EPA registered disinfectant (Oxivir-TB tuberculosis), which officials say is effective against both norovirus and "emerging infections" like COVID-19. Additionally, this disinfectant can be applied with electrostatic sprayers.

Concerns have also been raised over the possibility of pests, including bed bugs, being brought into the Cashin Center.

City health officials say their department has been involved in bed bug education and response since 2002.

"Bed bugs have been known to be found in any setting, but they are less likely to be on a person as opposed to in someone's belongings," officials said in a release. "The city has made arrangements to store people's belongings to both keep them secure but also to reduce the risk of bringing any pests into this facility."

If a pest was identified in the Cashin Center and/or on a person, health officials said immediate steps would be taken, including vacuuming the space and isolating impacted belongings — the same protocol as for the response in a school, health care or other public setting.

The Facilities Division also is deploying bed bug-specific monitors in the Cashin Center as an additional surveillance tool, officials said.

Paul Feely is the City Hall reporter for the New Hampshire Union Leader and Sunday News. Reach him at pfeely@unionleader.com