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Meeting report · Board of Selectmen
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Board of Selectmen — September 8, 2025

This was a substantive but collegial strategic planning session with no public opposition, no split votes, and no heated exchanges — the only friction was advisory in nature, with a board member cautioning staff about underfunding risks rather than opposing any action.

Date Monday, September 8, 2025 Duration 3.1h Speakers 9 Public comments 1 Decisions 10 Routine

Public ⁠impact

Issues from this meeting with documented community impact.
01

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 Affected: All Amherst property taxpayers
tax increase
02

DPW Road Budget Request — $1.7M with $2.45M Needed to Prevent Network Decline

Proposed $1.7M road budget still $750,000 short of the amount needed to simply maintain current road quality; continued degradation of road network anticipated Affected: All residents who use town roads; future taxpayers who will bear deferred maintenance costs
other high impact
03

New $100,000 Annual DPW Facility Capital Reserve Fund

New recurring annual $100,000 CRF contribution proposed for FY27 facilities maintenance Affected: All Amherst property taxpayers
tax increase
04

2026 Property Revaluation — Assessment Ratio at 70.6%

Town-wide revaluation will reset assessments currently at 70.6% of market value; individual tax bills will shift based on relative appreciation Affected: All Amherst property owners, particularly those whose property values have appreciated above average
other high impact
05

Community Power Program — New 36-Month Electricity Contract

New 36-month electricity supply contract beginning next month; affects electricity rates for enrolled residents for three years Affected: All residential and commercial electricity customers in Amherst enrolled in community power
other high impact
06

Fire Chief Appointment Delay — Continued Leadership Gap

Permanent fire chief start date pushed to mid-October; department continues without permanent leadership Affected: All Amherst residents dependent on fire and rescue services
safety change

Decisions ⁠logged

Every recorded vote, with timestamps and dissents.
Motion to come out of recess
Board voted to come out of recess and begin the meeting
Approved unanimously
00:15
All strategic plans forwarded to Ways and Means Committee for review
Board approved forwarding conservation commission, administration/finance, tax collector, library, and DPW strategic plans to Ways and Means for budget consideration
Approved by motion
Approved hiring Ryan Billings as master fleet mechanic
Grade 12, step 5 at $33.56 per hour ($69,848 annually), effective upon satisfactory pre-employment physical, anticipated start September 9th
Unanimous approval (5-0)
2:44:03
Approved hiring Jeffrey Candido as Finance Director
Grade 19, step 9 at $59.20 per hour ($123,136 annually), start date September 29, 2025
Unanimous approval (5-0)
2:45:38
Appointed Jamie Ramsey as Deputy Health Inspector
Three-year term expiring September 2028, duties aligned with Department of Health and Human Services process
Unanimous approval (5-0)
2:49:41
Approved formation of 250th Anniversary Committee
Committee to operate under Board of Selectmen with town administration and recreation director as staff support
Unanimous approval (5-0)
2:51:58
Approved consent agenda
AP and payroll, assessing timber tax levy and solar exemptions
Unanimous approval (5-0)
2:52:50
Approved Turkey Trot use of town common
Amherst Junior Woman's Club annual event November 28, 2025, 7am-10:30am with Church Street closure in front of Congregational Church
Unanimous approval (5-0)
2:54:00
Approved German Christmas Market rain date change
Changed rain date from Sunday December 14th to Saturday December 20th at same times and arrangements
Unanimous approval (5-0)
2:55:41
Approved meeting minutes with corrections
Minutes of August 14, 18, and 25, 2025 with various corrections including tax discussion edits and cost/value terminology changes
Unanimous approval (5-0)
2:56:17

Topics ⁠discussed

Click a topic to expand quotes and full context.
00:00 Meeting Opening and Citizens Forum

Meeting called to order and opened for public comment. Greg Fritz congratulated the board on hiring Jeff Candido as new finance director, praising his work on the school district's Ways and Means committee.

Speakers: Unidentified speaker, Greg Fritz
02:12 Ways and Means Committee Introduction

Town Moderator Mark Vincent introduced the 2025 Ways and Means Committee members and explained their role in reviewing the operating budget and warrant articles. He announced openings for additional members up to nine total plus alternates.

Speakers: Speaker F (Mark Vincent)
06:55 Conservation Commission Strategic Plan

Chair Jared Hardner presented a comprehensive 10-year strategic plan for managing 3,000 acres of open space (13% of town). Plan includes six goals: expanding protected land to 15%, improving recreational infrastructure, controlling invasive species, forest/grassland management, community communications, and advisory services. Hardner requested budget increase from $14,000 to $25,650 annually, plus potential warrant article for $5-10 million over five years for land acquisition.

Speakers: Speaker D (Jared Hardner)
39:09 Administration and Finance Strategic Plan

Town Administrator Lincoln Bailey and Finance Director Deb Dunn presented strategic goals including policy updates, enhanced communication, file management system, employee retention programs, and IT security improvements.

Speakers: Speaker C (Lincoln Bailey), Speaker E (Deb Dunn)
1:04:25 Tax and Assessing Strategic Plan

Tax Collector Robert Pegman Barnum presented overview of tax collection and assessing operations, including property valuations showing $25+ million net increase and upcoming 2026 revaluation with current assessment ratio at 70.6%. The town has excellent tax collection rates with minimal outstanding balances.

Speakers: Speaker I (Robert Pegman Barnum), Unidentified speaker
1:20:01 Library Strategic Plan Presentation

Director Amy LaPointe presented the library's strategic plan focusing on enhancing quality of life, fostering literacy, providing learning opportunities, and maintaining community spaces. The library serves as a key community connector.

Speakers: Amy LaPointe
1:56:22 Public Works Strategic Plan Presentation

Director Eric Slozik presented DPW's comprehensive strategic plan covering highways, facilities, transfer station, fleet, stormwater, community septic systems, and cemeteries. Major focus on staffing needs and infrastructure preservation. DPW currently has 15 full-time staff with one vacant fleet mechanic position, plus 7 part-time, 6 seasonal, and 10 on-call employees. Requesting $1.7 million for FY27 road budget, new $100,000 annual facility CRF, and new transfer station position.

Speakers: Eric Slozik
2:43:38 Ryan Billings Fleet Mechanic Hire

DPW seeking approval to hire Ryan Billings as master fleet mechanic at grade 12, step 5 ($69,848 annually).

Speakers: Eric Slozik
2:45:03 Jeff Candido Finance Director Appointment

Town Administrator requesting board approval to hire Jeff Candido as Finance Director, bringing 10+ years experience from Milford Middle School District.

Speakers: Lincoln Davenport, Jeff Candido
2:48:58 Deputy Health Inspector Appointment

Appointment of Jamie Ramsey as deputy health inspector for three-year term to enhance communication and responsiveness while awaiting new fire chief appointment.

Speakers: Lincoln Davenport
2:50:37 250th Anniversary Committee Formation

Creation of committee to plan commemorative programs for town's 250th anniversary in 2026, working with July 4th Committee and local organizations.

Speakers: Lincoln Davenport, Unidentified speaker
2:52:50 Consent Agenda - Administrative Items

Board approved consent agenda including accounts payable, payroll, assessing timber tax levy, and solar exemptions.

Speakers: Unidentified speaker
2:53:11 Town Common Use Approvals

Board approved use of town common for Amherst Junior Woman's Club annual Turkey Trot event on November 28, 2025, 7am-10:30am with Church Street closure. Also approved changing rain date for German Christmas market from Sunday December 14 to Saturday December 20.

Speakers: Unidentified speaker
2:56:16 Meeting Minutes Approval and Corrections

Board approved minutes from August 14, 18, and 25, 2025 with specific corrections requested by board members regarding tax discussions and cost/value terminology.

Speakers: Unidentified speaker
3:03:18 Committee and Board Vacancies

Comprehensive review of vacancies across various town committees including Heritage Commission, Historic District Commission, Planning Board, Recreation Commission, and others, encouraging resident participation.

Speakers: Unidentified speaker
3:05:37 Fire Chief Appointment Delay

New fire chief appointment delayed due to extensive background checks and medical requirements, with new presentation date scheduled for September 22 and anticipated start date in mid-October.

Speakers: Unidentified speaker
3:06:36 Community Power Program Launch

Discussion of community power program starting next month, with plans for additional public hearing and publicity.

Speakers: Unidentified speaker

Controversy & ⁠dissent

Where the board, the community, or the agenda diverged.

Potentially controversial issues

01

Conservation Commission Open Space Warrant Article — Potential $5–10 Million Bond

A potential $5–10 million warrant article for land acquisition over five years would represent a significant tax burden on residents. While no formal vote was taken, the board forwarded the plan to Ways and Means, signaling serious consideration. Taxpayers with differing views on conservation spending versus tax relief will likely have strong opinions.
Board position: Board forwarded the strategic plan to Ways and Means for budget review; no explicit endorsement or rejection of the bond article yet, but no dissent was voiced against consideration.
high concern
02

DPW Road Budget Shortfall — $1.7M Requested vs. $2.45M Needed

DPW Director Slozik stated that $2.45 million is required just to maintain the road network without further degradation, yet the FY27 ask is only $1.7 million. This gap means roads will continue to decline, directly affecting all residents who use them. A board member (John D'Angelo) explicitly warned that the CRF funding strategy would be insufficient if the board historically pressure departments to cut numbers.
Board position: Board forwarded the plan to Ways and Means; no immediate funding commitment made. D'Angelo's caution implicitly acknowledged the underfunding risk.
medium concern
03

FY27 Preliminary Budget — Risk of Exceeding Tax Target with Multiple Large Requests

Multiple departments presented budget increases in the same meeting: Conservation requesting a budget increase from $14,000 to $25,650 plus a potential $5–10M bond; DPW requesting $1.7M road budget; a new $100,000 annual facility CRF; and a new transfer station position. Taken together, these competing demands create significant pressure on the FY27 budget and risk pushing the tax rate above the board's informal 3% target.
Board position: Board received all plans without pushback and forwarded to Ways and Means; no explicit acknowledgment of cumulative tax impact during the meeting.
medium concern
04

Fire Chief Appointment Delay — Continued Public Safety Leadership Gap

The permanent fire chief appointment has been delayed again, now pushed to a September 22 presentation with a mid-October start. The town has been operating without permanent fire/rescue leadership, a public safety concern for residents. The deputy health inspector appointment was partly framed as a stopgap measure during this transition.
Board position: Board accepted the delay as procedurally necessary due to background check and medical requirements; no urgency expressed beyond scheduling the next presentation.
medium concern
05

Community Power Program — New 36-Month Electricity Contract

The community power program is launching next month, affecting residents' electricity supply and rates for a three-year period. The board discussed the need for an additional public hearing, implicitly acknowledging that residents may not yet be fully informed. The program's details and opt-out mechanisms are not documented in the meeting summary.
Board position: Board signaled support for the program launch while acknowledging a need for more public outreach and a formal public hearing before full rollout.
medium concern
06

2026 Property Revaluation — Assessment Ratio at 70.6%

The current assessment ratio of 70.6% means properties are significantly undervalued relative to market, and the upcoming 2026 revaluation will likely produce large assessed value increases for many homeowners. This routinely triggers concerns about property tax increases even when the tax rate adjusts, because not all properties appreciate uniformly.
Board position: Board acknowledged the upcoming revaluation and tasked the town administrator with presenting a contractor recommendation within two weeks; no substantive policy discussion yet.
medium concern

Community vs. board tension

Action ⁠items

Who owes what, by when.
Meet after strategic plan presentations and follow budget meeting schedule
Assigned: Ways and Means Committee · Due: Ongoing through budget season
Review and potentially replace current financial software system
Assigned: Town Administrator and Finance Director · Due: During FY27
Present revaluation services contractor recommendation to board
Assigned: Town Administrator · Due: Two weeks from meeting date
Provide detailed information on NH Retirement System transition success to Ways and Means
Assigned: Finance Director · Due: During budget discussions
Present utility assessment contract renewal discussion
Assigned: Town Administrator · Due: September 22nd meeting
Work with Lincoln and Debbie on electronic file storage implementation
Assigned: Tax Collector · Due: Ongoing
Continue expanding digital resources while maintaining physical collection
Assigned: Library Director · Due: Ongoing
Plan children's room renovation and redesign
Assigned: Library Director · Due: Near future
Complete facility condition assessment report implementation
Assigned: DPW Director · Due: Upon receipt of final report
Complete draft IDDE ordinance
Assigned: DPW Director · Due: This month
Conduct annual DPW employee survey
Assigned: DPW Director · Due: This fall
Work with new fire chief to appoint health inspector when current term expires September 14th
Assigned: Lincoln Davenport · Due: September 14, 2025
Contact stakeholders for 250th anniversary committee to get initiative started
Assigned: a speaker · Due: As soon as possible (noted they are behind schedule)
Post committee vacancy list prominently on website front page
Assigned: Town administration · Due: Soon
Check actual start date for community power program and plan public hearing
Assigned: a speaker · Due: Next meeting or early October
Work with Christie to incorporate new state regulatory changes into local zoning ordinances and land use regulations
Assigned: Planning Board/ZBA · Due: For 2026 zoning changes

Notable ⁠statements

We currently manage approximately 3,000 acres of open space, which is about 13% of the land area of Amherst — Jared Hardner · Explaining Conservation Commission's current responsibilities 08:34
Our principal priority, based on our knowledge and an external assessment that we had done, is that land protection is certainly the number one priority — Jared Hardner · Identifying top conservation priority for the town 27:16
That's a picture of our basement storage area for our files. To me that's unacceptable and liability to the town going forward — Lincoln Bailey · Describing need for improved records management system 57:28
I can tell you absolutely that it was a factor there... There was a lot of people who applied to the upper level positions who said they would not have considered it without the retirement system — Deb Dunn · Explaining success of transition to NH Retirement System for employee recruitment 1:02:23
This is extremely impressive. As a tax collector, I know many, many, many tax collectors in many towns and their biggest problem is collections... being in Amherst, it's very fortunate to be in the status. — Robert Pegman Barnum · Praising Amherst's excellent tax collection rate compared to other municipalities 1:11:03
Sometimes the Library is referred to as a non essential service. But quality of life issues are what drives someone to move to town... arguably that is the essence of the town. — Amy LaPointe · Defending the library's essential role in community quality of life 1:20:01
Our single point of failure is insufficient level of staff to efficiently manage responsibilities — Eric Slozik · Discussing DPW's primary weakness in SWOT analysis 1:56:35
We need a level of $2.45 million just to maintain the health of the network that we have out there today. That means that the network's not going to get better necessarily, it's not going to degrade and get worse. — Eric Slozik · Explaining road maintenance funding requirements based on RSMS report 1:56:35
If you intend to use this CRF to give you any kind of flexibility, you're going to have to put more money into it than you currently plan to spend... My experience has been the board of selectmen is very good at telling you to cut numbers down. Very rarely do we tell you to increase your numbers. — John D'Angelo · Advising DPW on facility maintenance CRF funding strategy 2:37:31
I am a resident of Amherst. I moved to town about 10 years ago. I grew up in Hollis. I've always liked this town very, very much and finally decided to buy a house in town. — Jeff Candido

Public ⁠comment

What residents said — verbatim, with timestamps.
1
Total speakers
1
Addressed
0
Partial
0
Not addressed
Greg Fritz
01:10
Addressed
Greg Fritz congratulated the board and Jeff Candido on the decision to hire Candido as the new finance director. He praised Candido's work on the Amherst School District Ways and Means Committee over the past five years, noting his good performance on finance matters and keeping meetings on task. Key concern
Expressing congratulations and support for the hiring decision
Board response
The chair thanked him for his comment
This was a positive comment expressing support, and the board appropriately acknowledged his input with thanks
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Report composed by claude-opus-4-6 · analyzed 2026-06-01.