Voters to hear more about town spending plan

Jan. 26—LONDONDERRY — There's cemetery expansion, fire department equipment, care for the community's roads and what to do about the future of the water supply and quality.

All these made Londonderry's proposed town budget and warrant article list, with a proposed $37.5 million general fund operating budget number and a list of other spending requests that will come before voters at the upcoming deliberative session and eventually at the polls March 14.

The total proposed operating budget, that includes the enterprise fund that oversees the sewer system is $40.5 million.

At a second public budget hearing held Jan. 16, town councilors and Budget Committee members perused the budget items, including warrant articles and have their opinions and then votes to move articles to what will be presented at the deliberative session.

Residents can also hear more details and even vote to amend articles and money amounts at that annual meeting.

The town's deliberative session is set for Saturday, Feb. 11, 9 a.m. at the Londonderry High School cafeteria.

In addition to the town budget, warrant articles deal with a variety of issues in town, including $75,000 to be put in a capital reserve fund to support Pillsbury Cemetery expansion; $100,000 to support a capital reserve for fire department equipment; $25,000 for an information technology capital reserve fund; $300,000 to support the Roadway Maintenance Trust Fund, and $10,000 for recreation.

Voters will also have the chance to weigh on on how they want the town treasurer job to be handled.

Councilors voted last month to move forward with a charter amendment that would make the treasurer an appointed position, as opposed to letting the voter choose at the polls who does the job.

Kathy Wagner serves as the current, elected town treasurer.

At an earlier Council meeting, Town Manager Michael Malaguti said there are benefits to having an appointed town treasurer.

"Adopting this amendment would place us more in line with communities of like size," Malaguti said at an earlier meeting.

"It's something we think would improve efficiency and give the Town Council a little bit more of a role in determining who it is that is installed into this position," Malaguti said. "Also you have the ability to have a qualified individual come before Town Council and present their qualifications."

Councilors and Budget Committee members also talked about a non-binding article and how the language should read, asking voters how they feel about bringing water system upgrades to town or putting a municipal water system in place.

Water issues have plagued Londonderry for years and bringing a non-binding article to the public could gauge their views, officials said.

Getting as much information to the public about the plight of water quality is key.

"And make sure people understand there is going to be a cost associated with this,"Malaguti said.

If any water articles is approved at the polls in March, it would be non-binding.