CONCORD, NH – Chairman of the House Municipal and County Government Committee Diane Pauer (R-Brookline) released the following statement after the House passed SB105, empowering towns to adopt budget caps.
“Local spending is out of control. SB 105 empowers local voters to make their own decisions to get town spending under control. Two Republican principles I believe are Low taxes are the result of low spending and that NH laws should require supermajorities to raise taxes. In addition, the Contract with New Hampshire that House Republicans ran on promised to lower local spending. To be very clear, SB 105 upholds both these important Republican principles and takes an important step toward fulfilling the Contract with New Hampshire,” Chairman Pauer said.
“In sum, SB 105 is NOT a mandate. Instead, SB 105 furthers local control of town budgets, by providing an option for voters to enact a town budget cap by a 3/5 majority vote. For those who value local control, there is no greater local control than the town’s voters, which is exactly who SB 105 gives control of their town’s budget to.”