Splaine: About Portsmouth city budgets and salaries
Last weekend I took a trip down memory lane and looked at the 1970 City of Portsmouth Annual Report. For those born or who came here after 1970, our annual reports provide good history of how we have changed. Or how we have not.
There's a picture of the 1970 City Council with Mayor Eileen Foley sitting in the center. You'll see a young Paul McEachern, Deaglan's father, along with Richard Blalock, Rich's grandfather. WHEB radio reporter Roger Wood is in a corner. I'm on the right, complete with real hair.
Among matters that year, the council agreed to study selling the Farragut School, which is now Keefe House, named after Councilor Bill Keefe who is in the picture. Actions included selecting an auditor to review 1969 expenditures, and a committee was assigned to study low-rent housing. Something called "Continental Cablevision" was given permission to erect a tower at Jones Avenue to provide television to homes. Imagine, TV you have to pay for.
Within six months, we had three city managers. Manager Richard Bowen resigned, Wilfred Young stepped in as acting manager, then after a nationwide search Calvin Canney was selected, serving his first months of two successful decades.
Oh, and the council created a committee to study a dog ordinance, which remains a work in progress. In fact, just about everything the 1970 council did continues as works in progress. That's what happens in cities and towns everywhere. There's no end to discussions about housing, roads, sidewalks, stop signs, traffic lights, water and sewerage issues, speeding cars and economic development.
And of course, what to do about barking dogs and other neighborhood noise issues, as well as budgeting and salaries for those providing city services. Someone has to do the work, and they need to be paid. Links to the 1970 Portsmouth Annual Report and others are here, or can be found by typing:
"Annual report 1970 Portsmouth, New Hampshire." by Portsmouth Town Representatives (unh.edu)
City Manager Karen Conard has the important task of preparing the yearly budget. It goes to the city council which then determines spending priorities for the coming year. That's what budgets do, they establish priorities of what is important for the next 12 months.
The proposed budget this year is $137.2 million. It is currently undergoing review by the council, which is hearing from residents, meeting with department heads, and in the next few weeks will arrive at agreements.
City Manager Conard has done a good job, and her budget is well detailed. It's fully disclosed on the city's website for all to see and analyze. After the council makes its decisions, it's the city manager's job to administer it. Under our city charter, the council sets priorities; the city manager manages.
Seacoastonline has done a public service reporting salaries for public employees. When I was on the council, I heard the most complaints about speeding, neighborhood noise and city salaries. But consider that city employees often receive public criticism about the work they do. They can be attacked in letters and by the news media. Often as in the case of first responders and public works department personnel, they have to work 24/7 and at odd hours in difficult situations. Our teachers have an increasingly difficult job. Add to that the reality that all employee salaries are indeed public for anyone to see.
Searchable database: Salaries for all Portsmouth city-side employees in 2022
Searchable database: Salaries for all Portsmouth school employees in 2022
Looking at where we have been is a good way to plan where we are going. Portsmouth's annual reports show that evolution, and reminds us that we are only temporarily here. Others will replace us and design their own community. What Portsmouth will be at its 500th anniversary in 2123 will be decided by those who follow us. Maybe someone then will check out our 2023 annual report to see how we did. Let's meet their expectations.
A thought: Dozens of Portsmouth annual reports can be seen on the city's website. I looked at the list of 150 or so residents who appear on the "committees" page of the 1970 report, many of whom I knew well. Most are no longer with us. The saddest thing about growing older is to say goodbye to good friends.
Next time: Hate. And why.
Variously since 1969, Jim Splaine has been Portsmouth assistant mayor for six terms, Police Commission member, and School Board member, as well as New Hampshire state senator for six years and representative for 24 years. He can be reached at jimsplaineportsmouth@gmail.com.
This article originally appeared on Portsmouth Herald: Splaine: About Portsmouth city budgets and salaries
