PORTSMOUTH — Taxpayers will have the opportunity tonight to comment on a proposed $58.26 million budget that’s expected to have little impact on the tax rate.
The hearing begins at 7 p.m. at the Portsmouth Middle School auditorium (“Little Theater”), 125 Jepson Lane.
The council last month voted 6-1 to approve a provisional budget of $58.26 million for the fiscal year beginning July 1, a spending plan that represents less than a 1-percent increase over the current budget. The council could still make changes to the budget before it’s officially adopted on June 22.
The budget includes $30.85 million for the school district, the same amount as in the current spending plan.
A brief overview of the budget can be viewed here. Former Town Administrator John Klimm’s original proposed budget can be read in its entirety here.
Printed copies of the proposed budget are available in the Finance Office at Town Hall, 2200 East Main Road, from 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m., Monday through Friday.
Another short one?
The annual public budget hearings have been sparsely attended gatherings in recent years, with little public comment; town officials and municipal employees in attendance usually outnumber regular taxpayers.
The budget hearing in 2013 lasted 34 minutes. Last year’s hearing took 42 minutes.