Portsmouth's provisional budget calls for 43-cent tax rate hike

More than $130K in new spending requests added

By Jim McGaw
Posted 5/15/19

PORTSMOUTH — The Town Council approved more than $130,000 in additional spending requests, including the creation of a full-time position for the parks and recreation director, when it …

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Portsmouth's provisional budget calls for 43-cent tax rate hike

More than $130K in new spending requests added

Posted

PORTSMOUTH — The Town Council approved more than $130,000 in additional spending requests, including the creation of a full-time position for the parks and recreation director, when it passed a $64.88 million provisional budget for 2019-2020 Monday night.

The provisional spending plan represents a 2.52 percent increase over the current budget and a tax levy increase of 3.54 percent, which still complies with a state law that caps the amount municipalities can raise in new revenue each year at 4 percent. 

Council member Keith Hamilton, who questioned several of the new spending requests along with Council President Kevin Aguiar, was the sole member to vote against the provisional budget.

Town Administrator Richard Rainer, Jr. had originally proposed a $64.78 million budget, which is 2.41-percent higher than the current plan, and a levy increase of 3.41 percent.

Under the provisional budget, Mr. Rainer said the new tax rate would be $16.40 — 43 cents more than the current rate of $15.97. Under the provisional budget, a resident with a $380,000 home would pay $6,232 in property taxes next year, an increease of $163.

The council will hold its annual public budget hearing at 7 p.m. on Wednesday, June 12, at Town Hall, and the spending plan will formally be adopted June 24.

Full-time rec director

The priciest additional spending request (see left column for other items) was for $62,000 toward a full-time salary for the parks and recreation director position, which passed in a 5-2 vote. (The net impact on the tax levy would actually be $64,247 to account for the tax collection rate, which is never at 100 percent, Mr. Rainer explained.)

The current recreation director, Wendy Bulk, works part-time, but council member Daniela Abbott said she is putting in well over 20 hours a week while exceeding expectations in generating revenue through the department’s various programs. Nearly $40,000 in revenue is being projected through the summer camp program alone, she said, and a full-time director would bring in even more profit.

“I believe this department is underserved and underfunded with one part-time director,” said Ms. Abbott.

Council member J. Mark Ryan agreed, saying staff members should be paid according to the amount of work they do. “(Ms. Bulk) may be part-time, but she seems to be working full-time,” he said.

Ms. Abbott’s request also found support from council member Leonard Katzman, who said the original town charter, from more than four decades ago, makes reference to the need for a full-time recreation director. 

Mr. Hamilton and Mr. Aguiar both voted against the proposal. Mr. Hamilton, who opposed raising taxes any further, said although Ms. Bulk is doing a tremendous job, the need to expand the position isn’t clear at this time. “We don’t even have a study back that says, ‘We want a full-time recreation director,’” Mr. Hamilton said.

Larry Fitzmorris of Portsmouth Concerned Citizens said it’s not the time to be adding any new staff positions.

“We don’t have a growing need to spend a lot of money. We’re just expanding the size of government,” he said. “If you ask people what they want most in town, they’d say a reduction in my property taxes.”

Community hall

Another significant add to the provisional budget was a new request for $20,825 (a $21,341 net increase to the levy) in civic support for the Common Fence Point Arts and Wellness Community Center. 

“They’ve managed to give the town a community center, raising over $750,000 through volunteer efforts,” said Council Vice President Linda Ujifusa, who proposed the request. “I believe it’s time for the town to acknowledge all the work that’s being done in that community.”

Again, the request passed in a 5-2 vote, with Mr. Aguiar and Mr. Hamilton opposed. 

“We don’t have a bottomless pit of money," said Mr. Hamilton, adding that other community organizations do a lot of good in town but are not funded in the budget. “We can’t be everything to everyone.”

Library, senior center

The council also approved additional spending requests, but funding for most of the items would be drawn from the town’s existing contingency fund and therefore not impact the bottom line. The evening began with $59,527 in the contingency fund, but by the end of the night it had been whittled down to $29,382.

The council voted to give $10,000 more in civic support to the Portsmouth Multi-Purpose Senior Center, bringing the total contribution to $90,000, which is what the center originally requested. Members also agreed to grant an additional $5,145 to the Portsmouth Free Public Library, putting the total contribution in line with the library’s request of $524,880. 

Nothing extra for PIVFD

Someone who didn’t leave Town Hall happy Monday night was Bob Dragon, chief of the Prudence Island Volunteer Fire Department (PIVFD). His plea for more civic support for his department was denied.

Mr. Katzman, for discussion’s sake, had originally sought an additional $80,000 for PIVFD to restore its original request of $250,870. However, he said after studying the matter further, he was satisfied the PIVFD budget was sufficient and in line with sacrifices made by other departments. 

Chief Dragon pleaded with the council to reconsider. “This is not going to allow us to do our job,” he said.

His department also takes much of the public safety burden off the Portsmouth Fire Department, he pointed out. “There are over 60 runs that we take care of on the island, which would put further stress on your mainland fire department,” Chief Dragon said.

Without more funding, PIVFD will have to enter into a different discussion with the town, because the mainland fire department will need to respond to more 911 calls on the island, he said.

“I just think the fact that the Prudence Island Volunteer Fire Department comes under ‘civic’ misconstrues our main job, which is safety,” he said.

Mr. Rainer responded that every department has taken a cut in his budget. “To make it sound like we’re not doing it because we’re not interested in public safety is just disingenuous,” he said.

Portsmouth Town Council

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