Fiscal Year 2026 Budget (July 1, 2025-June 30 2026)

Updates on the FY2026 Budget Hearings

The EPA awarded Concord a $678,000 Brownfields Cleanup Grant to clean up the former Concord Stables at 111.5 Warren Street. It was designed by local architect James Randlett and built in 1905 to house the city work horses. It has been vacant and unused since 1990 due to inorganic and petroleum contaminates. The grant will restore the historic building to habitable use. Work will begin within the next year.

At $155,000,000, the FY2026 draft budget is less than last year's, but proposes bonding almost $15 Million, which is significantly more than in the last five years. The blue bar represents the amount to be bonded in general obligation bonds that taxpayers would be expected to pay back in debt service over 20 years. FY2026 is $4.3 Million more than FY2025.

Concord's increasing debts are hindering a higher bond rating. Standard & Poor's recently rated Concord AA+ following February's bond sale, which indicates to investors the City is a relatively safe bet. However, Standard and Poor warned that it would be difficult for Concord to achieve a higher rating due to our "significant debt plans, which will potentially require steep property tax increases to balance outyear budgets".

This graph illustrates where the almost $15 Million in general obligation bonds will go:

June 2nd is the last opportunity to testify before the City Council's work session on June 5th and tentative vote on changes. In previous years, the final public hearing and budget adoption was held a week or more after the Council work session. This year, the Mayor has opted to have a public hearing and vote on the budget the same night as the Council work session on June 5th.

It is uncommon for the Council to make changes to the budget after their work session - making June 2nd your last, best opportunity to testify publicly.

If you cannot attend on June 2nd, you can submit your thoughts in an email to the City Clerk who will distribute it to the entire Council (cityclerk@concordnh.gov). I am always happy to hear from constituents, whether it is in person, online, on the phone, or via text. My number is 603 717-1350.

• Monday, June 2nd -

  • Special Revenue Funds: Parking Fund, Airport Fund, Conservation Property Fund, Revolving Loan Fund, Golf Fund, Arena Fund, Solid Waste Fund

  • Enterprise Funds: Water Fund, Wastewater Fund,

  • Public Hearing after all presentations completed.

• Thursday, June 5th -

  • Committee Work Session,

  • Public Hearings,

  • Public Hearing Action (Budget Adoption)

Chamberlain House, Woman's Club, 44 Pleasant St.

Want to talk about it? Join me and Councilor Michele Horne this evening to for a Tax Impact Conversation about the City's budget at the Woman's Club at 5:30pm at 44 Pleasant Street. Everyone is welcome! Graciously hosted by Lorrie Carrey, Hansi Glahn, and Linda Gilbert.

"The most common way people give up their power is by thinking they don't have any." - Alice Walker