While the police department does not have enough funding to pay full salaries, the police force is still at full staff, and there was no discussion of cutting officers when the Board reviewed the police department at the Tuesday meeting.
The fire department on Tuesday made an appeal for a greater increase in its funding than the proposed .04 percent in order to maintain its current standards of safety.
"The more people that we have responding to an incident the better we can complete the tasks involved, which then reduces the potential for injuries," Fire Chief Roger Bradley said at the hearing.
Officials do not expect to cut funding for the Howe Library or the Hanover Town Library in the proposed 2010-2011 fiscal year budget plan, which Town Manager Julia Griffin called "extremely conservative" at the Monday meeting. The Howe Library made an appeal for more funding in order to hire more staff, as its fee increases have not raised sufficient revenue to cover this expense.
Various service groups supported by public funding are expecting cuts in the money they receive from the state of New Hampshire and are requesting increased funding from Hanover to compensate for this loss. Although they may not receive the increased funding they have requested, their current level of funding, which was increased in last year's budget plan, has been maintained.
These groups include the Grafton County Senior Citizens Council; Headrest, an addiction and crisis support center; Listen Community Services, a community service center; the New Hampshire Association for the Blind, WISE, a domestic and sexual violence support group; Youth in Action; and Outreach House, a senior residential care center. Select Board Chairman Brian Walsh '65 Th '66 pointed out that more than 5 percent of the Hanover population is served by these organizations, in order to justify continuing their funding.
The proposed Thayer Dining Hall construction project offers a potential source of revenue as the Board expects an increase in building permit revenues as result of the project. Although the College pays no property taxes besides those covering residence and dining halls, it is required to pay building permit fees for all its construction projects.
Tuesday's hearing also addressed proposed changes in services provided by the Town's Advanced Transit Shuttle.
Walsh suggested implementing a downtown parking tax as a means of funding extended hours for AT in response to complaints about the lack of a 6 p.m. shuttle.
The concluding meeting on the budget and vote on the proposed budget by the Board is scheduled for Monday night.
Staff writer Michelle Lee contributed to this report.
