Hanover Town Meeting includes petition to eliminate town manager >Modified: 7/9/2021 9:39:56 PM
HANOVER Voters will decide on Tuesday whether to maintain Hanover’s town manager form of government or instead delegate more responsibilities to its five-member Selectboard.
A petitioned warrant article on this year’s Town Meeting ballot asks residents if they support “the continuation of the town manager plan as now in force in this town?”
A “yes” vote would continue the work of Town Manager Julia Griffin, who was hired in 1996, while a “no” vote would redistribute some of her responsibilities to elected officials.
In New Hampshire, town managers have hiring and firing power, can pay the town’s bills and set salaries. Hanover, which has a population of about 11,500, switched to the model in the 1970s as the town and Dartmouth College grew.
Forum, July 10: Proposed Hanover budget balances need for services with needs of taxpayers
Published: 7/9/2021 9:59:56 PM
Modified: 7/9/2021 10:00:06 PM
Proposed Hanover budget balances need for services with needs of taxpayers
At the business portion of Hanover’s Town Meeting on Tuesday, voters will face a bevy of appropriations-related warrant articles, $30.6 million in total, for fiscal year 2022. After revenues, the levy to taxpayers is $14.1 million. Tax rates, incorporating the Fire Fund, would increase just under 3% (17 cents on a base of $5.92 per assessed value of $1,000 prior to the increase). The Hanover Finance Committee voted unanimously on March 8 to support the town budget.
In setting the budget, the town faced significant, mostly externally driven, revenue and cost pressures: Multiple revenue streams were impacted by COVID-19 totaling more than $450,000 an amount equal to 19 cents on the tax rate; cost drivers included a nearly $200,000 increase in required
Published: 7/8/2021 9:59:56 PM
Modified: 7/8/2021 10:00:05 PM
Vote ‘yes’ to keep town manager plan in Hanover
During all-day voting at Hanover’s upcoming annual Town Meeting on Tuesday, voters are asked through a petitioned warrant article (No. 5): “Do you favor the continuation of the town manager plan as now in force in this town?” The Hanover Finance Committee, at a meeting on June 14, unanimously answered in the affirmative and urges Hanover voters to do likewise.
Unsaid in the article itself, the alternative is a town administrator, typically with more limited authority, and putting more responsibility with the Selectboard. In the opinion of the Finance Committee, governance and fiscal oversight are improved with a clean separation of executive and oversight duties, akin to the separation of the CEO and board chair roles in a corporate setting.
Forum, Feb. 26: 5 Selectboard candidates will help Hartford move forward
Published: 2/25/2021 10:00:14 PM
Modified: 2/25/2021 10:00:12 PM 5 Selectboard candidates will help Hartford move forward
It was with some sadness that I attended my last Selectboard meeting before stepping down. I have loved Hartford politics and truly enjoyed my years serving and representing the town. It has been quite a ride.
Over the past nine years, Hartford has witnessed the powerful rise of progressive local governance. This has resulted in a forward-thinking approach to matters such as community resilience, racial equity, immigration, homelessness, climate change, community wellness and the town’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Forum, Feb. 24: Hanover Finance Committee backs school district budget
Published: 2/23/2021 10:00:12 PM
Modified: 2/23/2021 10:00:12 PM
Hanover Finance Committee backs school district budget
On March 2, Hanover voters will have an opportunity to weigh in on next year’s proposed Hanover School District budget, as well as other important matters.
The Hanover Finance Committee unanimously supports the proposed agreement with Service Employees in Article 5 and the proposed Hanover School District budget in Article 6. The overall budget is down by $36,000, or .25%, from the current year. While anomalous, it is important to note that one item, sixth grade tuition, is responsible for this overall decrease as it is down by $609,000, or 24%, due to a fluctuation in the projected number of sixth graders. By contrast, the Ray School operating budget for grades pre-K through 5 is up $409,000, or 3.44%.