Ward 5 Newsletter - June 2026
- Stacey Brown
- Jun 18
- 5 min read
Updated: Jun 19
As your Ward 5 Councilor, I'm committed to transparency and to working with colleagues and residents to keep you informed about the decisions shaping our city - especially when those decisions highlight important questions about priorities, accountability, and how our tax dollars are spent.
I’ve noticed several trends in the FY2027 budget process, city operations, and committee composition that merit a closer look. My goal is to share clear, verifiable information so you can engage, ask questions, and help us steer Concord toward better outcomes—together.
Budget Process
Per our City Charter, the budget is received 45 days before the start of the fiscal year and must be adopted no later than the 27th day of the first month of the budget year. That's a total of 72 days from receipt to adoption. This year's process was only 28 days, from receipt on May 8th to adoption on June 4th. In April, I motioned to delay budget adoption until a week after our Work Session. The City Manager and Mayor spoke against this, and the majority of the Council opposed it, including all the At-Large Councilors.
Long, marathon meetings made it difficult for working residents and families to attend or speak. Critical information was shared late, leaving little time for review or for councilors to communicate details with constituents or collaborate on alternatives. A healthy democracy needs time for thoughtful deliberation and public input - not a sprint that discourages participation.
The City Manager proposed a 5.5% tax increase, on top of the School Districts' increase of 12% for Concord and 3.8% for Merrimack Valley. He claimed that if the City's tax increase was below 2%, Concord would be unrecognizable; pools and libraries would have to be closed. "I'll be making calls tomorrow" to fire newly hired temporary staff.
More than five and a half hours and no bathroom breaks later, the mayor called for the rules to be suspended so the budget process could continue past 11 pm. Councilors Kretovic made the motion, and Grady Sexton seconded it. The Finance Director then presented the budget resolutions and cuts selected by the City Manager to reach a 3.93% tax rate increase. 10 minutes later, they were all approved.
$17,583,600 was approved to be bonded for Capital Projects (there is still $30.3 Million in projects that were previously approved could be bonded at any time)
$1,025,000 to be used from the Unassigned Fund Balance
$4,842,175 from capital reserve accounts, top four recipients:
$2.7 Million for neighborhood street paving & roadway improvements
$500,000 police station debt service
$380,000 retiree health insurance
$250,000 for golf clubhouse debt service
Budget Priorities: What Got Cut vs. What Got Funded
In order to reach a tax rate just below 4%, cuts were made across departments, but they were not made equitably, and the City Council only reviewed them for 10 minutes before approving.
Cuts that affect residents directly:
Audiobooks (library services) - $38,000
Tree inventory (critical for managing our urban forest) - $4,000
Support to achieve sustainability goals - $1,200
Bagged leaf collection (a convenience many households rely on) - $99,225
Items that were protected or increased:
Over $90,000 in conferences, mileage, and business expenses for staff earning over $120,000
+$30,000 increase for temporary staff and overtime wages at Beaver Meadow Golf Course, contributing to the 2.5% increase in the golf operations budget (including $3,200 in tournament entry fees for the two full-time golf pros and $5,000 for a machine to pick up golf balls)
The City Manager increased Golf Fund operational costs by 2.5% while decreasing those of the library by 1.7%. I believe with more time to consider all the information, consult with each other and constituents, the City Council could have lowered the tax rate without a noticeable impact on residents.
Golf Course Finances - Growing Burden on Taxpayers
Since becoming a Special Revenue Fund managed by the Finance Director, taxpayer-backed debt for the golf course has ballooned to over $11 Million. Any profits stay within the golf fund rather than offsetting the burden on general taxpayers.
During the budget work session, I made a motion that the Golf Fund, which contains $1.3 Million, should pay the FY2027 debt service for the irrigation and clubhouse project currently levied on taxpayers - $764,495. This would have reduced the proposed tax rate by 1.34%. No one seconded my motion.
Four days later, the majority of the Council (including all the At Large Councilors) approved using an additional $22,030 from the Recreation Reserve for the golf course irrigation system. The Finance Director confirmed that the golf course does NOT contribute to the Recreation Reserve.
City Operations & Information
Accurate information is the foundation of public trust. Several recent examples from staff are troubling:
Access to financial information: During budget hearings, the Council was denied access to current financial information on golf memberships and associated revenue.
Resident notification practices -
West End Farm Trail: The family whose home and backyard are exposed to trail users was not notified of the public hearing about expanded use of the trail. The Trail Subcommittee overseeing this trail was not made aware of the extensive concerns documented by this family. According to the Concord Trails Plan, trail criteria negatives include close proximity to residential dwellings and impacts on the surrounding area.
Memorial Field: There is no record the Woodside preschool located alongside Memorial Field (right side of picture) was notified of the tree cutting at Memorial Field, which took 22 trees from along their property. Meanwhile, another neighbor was notified months in advance that all trees along property lines would be removed. The city received no money for the trees taken.
Accuracy of public communications: Appendix D of the FY2027 budget lists populations for each ward. However, Ward 3's population (4,513) includes the prison population of 2,246 (per the 2020 Census), a group that cannot vote while they are incarcerated. 2,246 is the total amount of ALL prisoners in NH, including Berlin, Manchester, Goffstown, Ward 5 Women's prison, and Ward 7 Shea Farm Halfway House. Excluding the prisoner population, Ward 3's population is 2,266 - approximately half the amount of the other nine wards.
Committee Compositions
Several significant City committees have the same councilors on them. When the same councilors occupy overlapping key positions - redistricting, fiscal policy, manager review, and more - they can exert significant influence over information flow, spending recommendations, and oversight.
City Manager Evaluation Delay
Our City Charter stipulates the City Manager's performance evaluation be conducted in April. It is now mid-June, and the evaluation is still not done. This delay, combined with the compressed budget timeline, raises further questions about accountability and adherence to our governing documents.
What You Can Do
Real change happens when residents speak up. Here are practical ways to get involved:
Attend or speak at upcoming Council meetings - Your voice matters more than ever.
Pay close attention to who serves on key committees and how those committees influence spending, oversight, and information flow. Ask whether they are holding leadership accountable to the Council priorities of fiscal responsibility and communication.
Contact other Councilors and the City Manager - Ask specific questions about the budget cuts, golf spending/debt/resident vs. non-resident pricing, reserve usage, the City Manager evaluation delay, tax rate comments, the rushed timeline, and ward population discrepancies.
Put questions and concerns in writing and send them to the City Clerk's office (cityclerk@concordnh.gov) and ask for it to be shared with the entire council.
Share this newsletter with neighbors, especially those who don't usually follow city politics.
Reach out to me with your questions, concerns, or ideas. Your perspective is important to me. stacey4concord@gmail.com 603 717-1350
Final Thoughts
Concord is a city with tremendous potential and resources, but we deserve transparent, resident-focused leadership. Thank you for caring about our community. Together, through informed engagement, we can push for better priorities, fuller transparency, accountability from all officials, fair representation, and a budget that truly serves Concord residents.
"The most common way people give up their power is by thinking they don't have any".
-Alice Walker
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