Amherst, NH
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Board of Selectmen
Meetings of the Board of Selectmen are open to the public. MeetingWatch transcribes and analyzes every session.
Recent activity
Last meetings at a glance.
Community responsiveness
66%
→ stable
72 addressed · 25 partial · 32 unaddressed
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53 analyzed, most recent first
Monday, July 13, 2026
Christian Hill Road Trucking Ordinance — Potential restriction of commercial through-traffic on a residential road.
Monday, June 22, 2026
Amherst School Board Impact Fee Request — A release of $210,500 for debt service.
Tuesday, June 9, 2026
DPW Facility Replacement/Refurbishment — Potential multi-million dollar capital project
Tuesday, May 26, 2026
EMS Budget Reallocations — Reallocation of $85,000 from salary to wages and overtime.
Monday, May 11, 2026
Amherst School District Impact Fee Requests — Approval of approximately $69,000 in impact fee expenditures for school-related architectural and surveying services.
Tuesday, May 5, 2026
The meeting was marked by heavy public testimony regarding trespassing, deception, and property rights, exacerbated by significant off-agenda discussions regarding committee oversight.
Monday, April 27, 2026
Health Trust Plan Cost Share — Changes in cost-sharing percentages for dental, life, disability, and medical insurance plans.
Wednesday, April 22, 2026
The meeting featured intense criticism from landowners regarding property rights and significant pushback from the Conservation Commission regarding procedural oversight.
Monday, April 13, 2026
The meeting featured heavy, emotional testimony from 15 public speakers, particularly regarding the Rail Trail project, which created a high-tension atmosphere.
Monday, March 23, 2026
Ambulance Billing Rate Change to 325% of Medicare — Billing rates set at 325% of Medicare reimbursement rates effective January 1, 2026, with automatic future adjustments when Medicare rates change; specific dollar-per-transport impact not disclosed at meeting
Monday, March 9, 2026
NH Route 101 Transportation Project Delayed to 2034–2036 — Major regional road improvement project pushed back approximately 8–10 years from anticipated construction window, with no guaranteed restoration of funding
Monday, March 2, 2026
Route 122 / Merrimack Road All-Way Stop Installation — $20,000 safety improvement at a documented crash-prone intersection; interim measure until a $3 million roundabout planned for 2034
Monday, February 9, 2026
Route 122/Merrimack Road safety improvements — Interim all-way stop proposed; permanent fix delayed until 2036
Monday, December 22, 2025
FY27 Operating Budget — $7,700 Increase — Draft 6 budget reflects a $7,700 net increase over prior year; full tax rate impact not specified but moving to public hearing January 12
Monday, December 8, 2025
FY27 Budget — $600,000 Operating Increase Affects Tax Rate — $600,000 increase (3.27%) in municipal operating budget; proceeds to public hearing
Monday, November 24, 2025
FY27 Budget — Personnel Expansion Adds ~$200,000 to Operating Budget — Four new/expanded positions totaling approximately $200,000 annually, added to a budget already carrying a 3.2% ($600,000) baseline increase
Friday, November 21, 2025
Municipal Property Tax Rate Increase — Town tax rate rising from $4.71 to $4.92 per $1,000 assessed value — approximately a 4.5% increase in the town portion; total combined rate rising from $22.93 to approximately $24.10 (all taxing entities)
Monday, October 20, 2025
FY27 Preliminary Budget — Multiple Cost Pressures Risk Exceeding 3% Tax Target — ~$207,000 in new staffing requests plus potential 17.5% health insurance increase (vs. 10% budgeted) and $400,000 in fire warrant articles — cumulatively threatening the board's self-imposed 3% tax increase ceiling
Monday, September 22, 2025
FY27 Budget — COLA and Tax Rate Pressure — Budget placeholder at 3% COLA vs. CPI of 3.2–3.3%; first full budget draft due October 6th with prior context of 5% overall increase risk exceeding 3% tax target
Tuesday, September 9, 2025
Fire Department Staffing — Transition Toward Career Personnel — Acting Chief identified need for career personnel additions estimated at ~$400,000 in annual budget impact; current model described as inadequate for population and call volume
Monday, September 8, 2025
Conservation Commission Open Space Warrant Article — Potential $5–10 Million Bond — Potential $5–10 million bond over five years for land acquisition; annual budget increase from $14,000 to $25,650 also proposed
Monday, August 25, 2025
Workforce Housing Development on Town-Owned Land — Up to 30 townhouse units proposed on town-owned property under long-term lease; if approved, would represent a significant change to public land use and municipal housing policy
Monday, August 11, 2025
FY27 Preliminary Budget — 5% Increase with Risk of Exceeding 3% Tax Target — Preliminary budget of $18.74 million represents a 5% ($445,000) increase over FY26; Town Administrator warned that new initiatives and capital reserve funds will push well above a 3% budget growth target
Monday, July 28, 2025
Community Power Program — New 36-Month Electricity Contract — 36-month contract locking in electricity supply rate at or below 11.779 cents/kWh for participating residents; enrollment failures already causing some residents to pay higher rates
Monday, July 14, 2025
German Christmas Market Scheduling Conflict — Community Event Access — An 8,000-person event approved for the same day as a long-standing 600-person community event may effectively cancel or severely disrupt the Christmas House Tour if dates are not separated
Tuesday, June 24, 2025
Budget Surplus of ~$1.6 Million to Unassigned Fund Balance — Approximately $1.6 million surplus (roughly $800K unspent budget plus $800K–$1M excess revenue) projected for unassigned fund balance
Monday, June 23, 2025
Budget Surplus of ~$1.6–1.8M — Disposition Not Yet Decided — Approximately $800,000 in unspent funds plus $800,000–$1,000,000 in excess revenue; final report to be presented at July meeting
Monday, June 9, 2025
German Christmas Market — Town Service Costs and Traffic Impact — Event projected to draw up to 20,000 visitors to a small town center; town department cost estimates pending but potentially significant for a single-day event
Tuesday, May 27, 2025
Approval of July 2025 Tax Warrant — $27,595,563 tax warrant approved with 8% annual interest on delinquent balances effective July 1, 2025
Monday, May 12, 2025
Municipal Employee Health Insurance Switch to CIGNA — Complete health insurance carrier change affecting all municipal employees; projected savings of over $100,000 to the town; employees moving to high-deductible HSA option face different cost-sharing structures including new deductibles offset by $2,500–$5,000 in employer HSA contributions
Monday, April 7, 2025
Health Insurance Rate Increase — $170,000 Budget Shortfall — $170,000 unplanned shortfall from a 27.5% rate hike (up from contracted 9.5%), requiring mid-year budget reallocation
Monday, March 24, 2025
Trackless Machine Purchase — $205,775 Net Municipal Expenditure — Net cost of $205,775 approved; payment deferred to July 2025 citing tariff uncertainty
Monday, March 10, 2025
EMT hiring — public safety staffing — Addition of one EMT at grade 2, step 1 ($22.45/hr), modestly expanding EMS staffing capacity
Friday, March 7, 2025
This was a brief, celebratory meeting focused entirely on a unanimous hiring decision, with only one supportive public comment and no opposition, tension, or controversy of any kind.
Monday, February 24, 2025
The extended Community Power public hearing drew substantial public opposition centered on automatic enrollment, inadequate notification, unverifiable savings claims, and vendor quality concerns — with one resident explicitly challenging the program's legitimacy on cultural-political grounds and the board unable to offer firm reassurances on several key issues.
Tuesday, February 11, 2025
Police K9 Unit Established — New program funded by $32,000 grant for years 1–3; ongoing municipal costs expected after grant period ends
Monday, January 27, 2025
Road Paving Contract Extension and Future Contracting Policy — One-year contract extension with Continental Paving through FY26; a proposed shift to two-year contracts could change pricing and vendor relationships for a major recurring municipal expenditure, with implications for competitive pricing and taxpayer value.
Monday, January 13, 2025
FY2026 Municipal Budget — 4.9% Spending Increase — $18.3M budget, 4.9% increase; estimated $25.02 annual tax impact on average $482,000 home
Monday, December 16, 2024
FY26 operating budget approval — $18,298,510 operating budget after $40k reduction
Monday, December 9, 2024
Loss of $370,000 ACC Funding in FY26 Revenue Budget — $370,000 reduction in projected revenue compared to FY25, with no identified replacement source
Monday, December 2, 2024
FY26 Operating and Total Budget Increases — 4.6% operating budget increase; 6.6% total spending increase including warrant articles; final tax rate impact depends on unresolved rail trail and tower truck decisions
Monday, November 18, 2024
7.2% Municipal Budget Increase — 7.2% overall budget increase (excluding fire tower truck) encompassing road reconstruction, stormwater compliance, equipment replacement, and other capital and operating costs
Monday, November 4, 2024
ARPA Funds at Risk and Potential Fire Station Cost Increase — $500,000 in ARPA funds at risk; fire station remediation costs may exceed original budget due to septic system requirements
Monday, October 28, 2024
FY26 Municipal Budget – Potential Tax Rate Increase — Draft budget carries a 3.09% overall spending increase; final tax impact on rate not yet determined, complicated by health insurance estimate uncertainty ranging from 5% to 9.5%
Monday, October 21, 2024
Community Development Office Leadership Vacuum — Loss of Director and Executive Assistant simultaneously creates a significant service gap in a department handling major land use decisions; interim coverage is uncertain
Tuesday, October 8, 2024
Potential Cancellation or Reduction of Fourth of July Fireworks — Annual fireworks cost has risen to $14,000–$15,000 with fundraising unable to cover costs; committee has signaled the program is unsustainable without a new funding model, threatening cancellation of a longstanding community event
Monday, September 16, 2024
Cyanobacteria Treatment at Baboosic Lake Town Beach — Ongoing harmful algal bloom poses public health risk; capital reserve fund solution is deferred with no immediate remediation timeline
Monday, August 26, 2024
PFAS Soil and Groundwater Remediation — High-cost remediation project involving soil capping and potential leach field relocation.
Monday, July 22, 2024
Projected municipal budget increase — 12%+ increase projected without prioritization
Monday, June 24, 2024
Bond Refunding for Conservation Land Purchase — 18-year municipal bond refinancing from 5% to an expected 3.5–4%, potentially saving meaningful interest costs for taxpayers over the bond term
Monday, May 13, 2024
The meeting featured a lengthy, highly engaged public hearing with 14 speakers expressing conflicting views, alongside significant internal board debate over project scopes and new fees.
Monday, April 29, 2024
No Through Trucking Ordinance – Advancing to Public Hearing — Restricts vehicles over 68,000 pounds from using three named roads for through travel; would formally redirect commercial truck traffic away from residential village routes
Monday, April 15, 2024
Fire Department Tower Truck Replacement — Approximately $900,000 purchase of a used tower truck; current truck is out of service, creating an active public safety gap
In progress
Recent meetings being transcribed and analyzed, most recent first. Full reports publish here as they finish.
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THU16APRThursday, April 16Meeting held — no recording available.No recording
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TUE20JANTuesday, January 20Meeting held — no recording available.No recording
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MON12JANMonday, January 12Meeting held — no recording available.No recording
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