Town Election March 11

Charter Amendment 1

Modification to allow the Town Council to clarify their first meeting will be 10 calendar days after the municipal election is certified. (Charter Sec 3.2)

Recommended? YES

Charter Amendment 2

Removes residency requirement of a candidate for Town Councilor to be a Salem resident for one (1) year prior to the election. This is not in line with the Charter’s mandate of transparency, public trust, and ethical governance. (Charter Sec 3.3.1) 

Recommended? NO!

Charter Amendment 3

Updates language regarding violations and penalties to align with state law. Town Council does not have the authority to charge a misdemeanor. (Charter Sec 8.7)

Recommended? YES

Charter Amendment 4

Removes from the Town Code of Ethics the Campaign Finance requirement to report donations over $500 from one source for municipal candidates. This is not in line with the Charter’s mandate of transparency, public trust and ethical governance. (Charter Sec 2.10)

Recommended? NO!

Charter Amendment 5

Clarifies the Town Code of Ethics ensuring consistency in terminology, the ethics training for Elected & Appointed Officials (EAO), also clarifies the Ethics Committee’s roles & responsibilities (Charter Article 6, Code of Ethics).

Recommended? YES

CSWRF Loan Stormwater Management

Comes up every year; there is no tax impact to approving this loan for Arlington Pond which has 100% forgiveness; last year CSWRF Loan was for Captain’s Pond.

Recommended? YES

2025 Operating Budget for ($73,861,954)

Which is about 5.6% increase from last year’s budget; includes capital projects such as the Bridge St. bridge construction, Fire Department ladder truck; default budget is $62,174,684 which would be devastating to our safety and roads. NOTE: Now includes $277,840 formerly in Article 10.

Funding Source:  Property      Tax WaterRate      Sewer Rate

Rate Impact:        $5.33           $4.55                     $5.45

Recommended? YES

2025 Road Construction & Engineering Program

Which will affect 33 roads in town, no change from last year.

Tax Impact: $0.51

Recommended? YES

Municipal Equipment Purchases and Facility

Improvements $277,840

Big discussion during Feb 8 th Deliberative Session. This line will be set to $0 and the expenditure rolled into the Operating Budget. This will fund essential municipal equipment, and improvements to the town infrastructure. 

Tax impact: $0.0375 (already included in Article 08 above)

Recommended? YES

Other Post-Employment (OPEB) Trust Fund

Provides funding for a trust fund for post-employment benefits other than pensions. Improved our credit rating to AAA. 

Tax impact: $0.01 to Water and Sewer Fund

Recommended? YES

Town Facility Maintenance & Improvement Capital Reserve Fund $50,000

Provides funding for unintended capital emergency improvements such as HVAC repair, roof repairs, etc. We have aging municipal facilities. 

Tax rate impact: $0.01

Recommended? YES

Adoption of Salem Community Choice Electric Aggregation Plan

Will allow the Town Council to implement a Community Choice Electric Aggregation Plan to enter into competitive markets for

supplying electricity, which will help lower your electricity supply costs. Liberty Utilities will manage billing and will remain the

service provider.

Recommended? YES

Redistribution of Election Districts

Allows the town to reduce the number of polling places from 5 to 4, closing Soule School and Senior Center for voting and moving the two precincts to Woodbury School - effective Mar 2026; Soule School can no longer support the increased voter rolls from Tuscan Village. 

Tax impact: $0.002

Recommended? YES

By Petition – Kelley Library Elevator Repair $15,083

For the library Capital Reserve Fund to repair the elevator and replace rusted hydraulic fluid tank. 

Tax impact: $0.002

Recommended? YES

By Petition – The Upper Room $7,500

To non-profit that supports the community by providing educational services and resources through prevention, intervention and engagement programs.

Tax impact: $0.001

Recommended? YES

By Petition – Isaiah 58 $10,000

To non-profit that finds housing and provides services to the unhoused or housing insecure in Salem.

Tax impact: $0.002

Recommended? YES

To choose all necessary School District officers for the ensuing year

Recommended? YES

Approval of the budget of $93,299,346

Town Deliberative Session voted to reinstate the budget cuts made by Budget Committee of $1.1M. This does not include the Collective Bargaining Agreements up for vote this year.  Both the School Board and Budget Committee recommend the revised article.

Recommended? YES

Approval of the Collective Bargaining Agreement for Salem Educational Association

This is the first year of a 3 year contract, 350 members in this bargaining unit. Both the School Board and Budget Committee recommend this article. Tax impact: $0.216

Recommended? YES

Approval of the Collective Bargaining Agreement for Salem School Custodian Employees Association

This is the first year of a 3 year contract, 41 members in this bargaining agreement. Both the School Board and Budget Committee recommend this article. Tax impact: $0.020

Recommended? YES

Rescind Balance of Bonds Approved per RSA 33:8-f

Is a housekeeping warrant article to close the outstanding balances of approved construction bonds which the District did not need due to other revenue sources. No tax impact

Recommended? YES

By Petition-Implementation of a Budget Cap for Budget Submission

The original article would cap the school budget via the formula of One Dollar ($1) per student plus inflation. The Deliberative Session changed the formula to  $36,000 per student plus inflation. School Board does NOT recommend this article.

Recommended? NO!

By Petition-Implementation of a Tax Cap for Budget Submission

The original article would cap any increase in taxes used to fund education to the Northeast Consumer Price Index (CPI). The Deliberative Session changed the formula to CPI plus 5%. The CPI is not a good measurement to use for a school district or municipal budget. School Board does NOT recommend this article.

Recommended? NO!