Ward 5 Newsletter - September 2025

I am running for re-election.

I take my role and responsibilities as a City Councilor very seriously. When I campaigned last year, I predominantly heard concern over the unsustainability of increasing taxes. With that concern in mind, I looked critically at projects that would significantly add to our City's debt and residents' tax bills. I am currently participating in the NH Municipal Association's Financial Policies certificate course. The first day reviewed internal controls and the legal responsibilities of governing bodies.

NH RSA 41:9 requires the governing body to be responsible for establishing and maintaining internal control policies and procedures to ensure the safeguarding of all town assets and properties. Internal controls consist of all the methods and measures used by a municipality to monitor assets, prevent fraud, minimize errors, verify the correctness and reliability of accounting data, promote operational efficiency, and ensure that established managerial policies are followed. (The Basics of Financial Policy, 3rd Edition, NHMA)

MS-9 Report & the Recreation Reserve - Monday's Council meeting

The MS-9 report of the trust funds and capital reserves is required annually by the Department of Revenue Administration. Additions and withdrawals are made with approval of the governing body. The Recreation Reserve in the 2025 MS-9 report shows the $400,000 addition that Council approved in January as a transfer from the Unassigned Fund Balance. It also shows $205,000 being withdrawn; $200,000 more than the $5,000 Council approved to be withdrawn to maintain the snow groomer.

I filed a Right-to-Know request for the Recreation Reserve transactions and received MS-9 reports, the In and Out Detail, and accompanying Resolutions (minus a few).

This snapshot of the In and Out Detail shows the $200,000 withdrawal listed by the FY2025 budget. However, there is no mention of the Recreation Reserve in the FY2025 Budget.

The Detail also lists a $200,000 withdrawal in FY2024 and Resolution #9560. Curiously, that Resolution was not included in the packet by the Finance Director. I requested it separately from the City Clerk and found that it doesn't mention the Recreation Reserve.

When I asked for more information about these withdrawals, the Finance Director requested the City Council notify the City Manager if they required additional information.

Origin & History of the Recreation Reserve

During Budget hearings, the City Manager said that he intended for the Recreation Reserve to be used to pay the debt service of a new golf clubhouse. A couple of councilors vehemently opposed the Recreation Reserve being used to pay for anything other than a clubhouse.

However, the Recreation Reserve was created by Resolution #8935 in July 2016 with $650,000 for the purpose of future expenses related to the new City Wide Community Center Project (CIP#443). Funds continued to be added to the Recreation Reserve every year since for a total of $3,496,500. As of April 30, 2025, only $833,537.50 remains.

Withdrawals began in 2019, but not for projects related to CIP#443.

2019: $175,000 approved for the Skate House in White Park - $575,000 total withdrawn,

$400,000 withdrawn listing FY2019 - no detail or description provided.

2020: $410,000 withdrawn for FY2020 - no detail or description provided.

2021: $11,015 approved for playground design at White Park - $411,015 total withdrawn,

$400,000 withdrawn listing FY2021 budget - no detail or description provided.

2022: $400,000 withdrawn listing FY22Res#9383 with no mention of Recreation Reserve.

2023: $374,843 withdrawn listing Res#9466 with no mention of Recreation Reserve.

2024: $196,936.62 approved for Skate House donations - $396,936.62 total withdrawn,

$200,000 withdrawn listing Res#9560 with no mention of Recreation Reserve.

There have been only two projects CIP #443 and both times they were bonded - instead of using the Recreation Reserve: $80,000 in 2022 for an irrigation system and $130,000 in 2026 for design and permitted of an expanded parking lot.

Capital Project Debt: In October 2024, the City Council had a work session where we reviewed 23 of the most expensive municipal projects slated for the next ten years. We were presented a bar chart that showed the debt for capital projects over the past few years. 2025 was the highest with $10.56 Million. Fast forward to June 2025, $14.3 was approved and a huge chunk of that is for a new golf clubhouse. The clubhouse is the only project out of the 23 we were shown in October that is slated to be constructed in 2026. There have been no donations or grants received for this project.

2026 Golf Rates - revenue omissions

During Budget hearings, the City Manager said he would work closely with the Golf Advisory Committee to raise membership and daily fee rates. He was applauded for saying, "there's a new facility, folks who use it should pay for it." That's not happening. The new rates will not generate enough revenue to meet budget expectations, let alone more for clubhouse debt service.

In July the Golf Advisory Committee approved rates that will not generate enough revenue to meet the 2026 Golf Fund Revenue Projections. When I raised this point at the last Council meeting, other Councilors didn't understand where I was getting my information. It wasn't until the following day that I realized the Golf Advisory Committee was provided the 2025 revenue and the projected revenue increase from rate changes, but that information was NOT provided to the City Council. The report to City Council only included how much additional revenue the new rates could potentially bring in, not the estimated total.

Another item in the rate report that was not disclosed to City Council was the definition change in the small print, "Family rate is max of 4 people living in same household with two adults".

The two councilors who serve on the Golf Advisory Committee did not point out to the rest of the City Council that the Family rate has been TWO people in the same household, not four, since 2020. There was no discussion about why the definition was expanded or analysis of the revenue loss of it.

*Councilor Horne and I were the only two who voted against the 2026 golf rates. Other councilors can make a motion to reconsider and bring this subject back on the table for reconsideration.

Should it go on the ballot? Expanding Drinking and Gambling Opt-out.

Public hearing to determine whether the City Council should place the social district question on the ballot. Social districts would allow a designated alcoholic beverage consumption area that is shared by multiple establishments licensed to sell alcohol. Report.

Under the recently revised law, Keno is authorized unless a municipality opts-out of it through a ballot question. No public hearing, but the City Council will decide if the option to have Keno is placed on the ballot. Report.

September is Library Card Sign up! Did you know you can download audio books onto your device? Read newspapers online, get museum passes, and borrow items from the Library of Things (the ghost meter works, by the way) with your library card? There is also wonderful art in our library! Make a special trip up main staircase just to see the new artistic display of the Dakota Sioux.

Parking Garage Survey

Do you have 8-10 minutes to invest in the next 40 years? Take the PARKING SURVEY to help us understand current conditions and find solutions that work for everyone.

Connecting with you

As in the past, I will be covering every street in Ward 5, by foot and bike, this campaign season to meet you and understand more about the accessibility and mobility challenges our community faces. Let me know if you'd like to join me or want to make time to chat.

Where you'll find me:

Thursday, Sep 11, 7:45-9am, State of the City's Schools, CHS Gratitude Cafe, 170 Warren St.

Saturday, Sep 20, 9-11am Farmers Market on Capitol Street. Steve Winnett and I will be representing the Tree Subcommittee.

Sunday, Sep 21, 6pm 35th Annual Gala at The Audi on Prince Street

What I am reading now and want everyone else to read, too:

Biased: Uncovering the Hidden Prejudice That Shapes What We See, Think, and Do by Jennifer L. Eberhardt, PhD. Book available at the Concord Public Library.

Ward 5 and Concord: At your service

Wade and I celebrated our 19-year anniversary with dinner at the Sunflower Bloom Festival. We moved from NYC to NH in 2009 to be closer to my family, but selected Concord specifically because of the top-notch police department and the opportunity to live in a walkable City. When I campaigned four years ago, I wanted to see these fields as community gardens, campaigned, and lobbied for it in committee and Council. I was on the committee that selected SunFox Farms and couldn't be happier with the result.

This was the first time we attended the dinner, but it will be our new anniversary tradition. It exceeded any restaurant experience we've had, including in NYC. We have something amazing here in Concord because we set high standards and talented people step forward to meet them.

"It is, Sir, the people's government, made for the people, made by the people, and answerable to the people". -Daniel Webster