Upcoming Budget Season... Good or Bad?
As we enjoy the lazy days of summer in Gilford, the department heads are getting ready to submit their budgets. With no apparent direction from the town’s leaders, such as spending increase limitations issued by Meredith leaders, one wonders what kind of a budget we might see. Last year the budget season was relatively uneventful because the selectmen and School Board presented lean budgets to fund the town’s needs. With prices rising for just about everything in sight, this year could be a big challenge. Not to mention the rumors I’ve heard that some, if not all, of the deleted “outside” agencies are looking to get their fingers back into the taxpayer’s pockets. What might we see from the “free’ library building that is being accepted with known moisture problems? With funding approved for football, will we hear a similar request from the long waiting hockey team? The school board should be commended for returning a sizable amount of money back to the taxpayer. This money could go a long way to offsetting the upcoming hefty increases in heating oil and other rising expenses. Will this unspent money be requested by the Meadows committee that still plans on even though a growing majority of Gilford residents would prefer to see sports fields developed at the High School where it makes the most sense?
Clearly, the upcoming budget season for Gilford is going to be interesting. I’m hoping that the campaign speeches from the newly elected officials were more than just words of political convenience. The newly elected Selectman believed that he could find ways to increase revenues to offset spending and nearly all the Budget Committee winners ran on “conservative” platforms. Hopefully, all will be mindful of the taxpayer’s desire to fund a limited number of “outside” agencies. This can only be viewed as an obvious message that the people need tax relief.
