Select Board and Budget Committee chart 2027 budget course with 5 percent operational target.

Select Board · Meeting of August 25, 2026

NH GOFFSTOWN — Goffstown Select Board and Budget Committee chart 2027 budget with 5 percent department spending cap and revised fund balance policy. Chairman Jim Craig presented the 2026 default budget's impacts, including $230,000 in transfers to cover fire overtime and departmental shortfalls, and noted staff project no increase in the town tax rate, while the local education tax is expected to rise 7.9 percent. Selectwoman Allison DeCesere unveiled a revised fund balance policy lowering the minimum from 12 percent to 10 percent; the approximately $9,000,000 balance generated roughly $500,000 in interest income during the past year and would yield approximately $2,000,000 available for capital reserve seeding at the 10 percent threshold.

Vice Chairman Joshua Douglas proposed four capital reserve funds, with general consensus supporting a Town Facilities CRF while deferring a decision on a dedicated Police Station CRF pending the committee's review of a January 2026 feasibility study estimating replacement cost at $30 million to $35 million.

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Source: the Select Board meeting of August 25, 2026, compiled from the official minutes.