Accountability posts
Drafts ready to share. Click to copy, then post. Board of Selectmen · Amherst · March 2, 2026.
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Public safety infrastructure failure already underway before grant funding was secured
Amherst's police and fire chiefs told the Board of Selectmen on 3/2 that public safety radios are already failing — a 'bucket of broken radios' in the station. The town is now racing to apply for federal grants by Friday. This i... https://meetingwatch.org/nh/amherst/board-of-...
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Fiscal risk of grant match obligations without a clear appropriation path
Amherst BOS voted 5-0 on 3/2 to pursue 4 federal grants totaling $1.2M+ for radio equipment. Local match requirements: 25–65%. That's a potential taxpayer obligation of $300K–$800K with no firm funding plan identified yet. Watch... https://meetingwatch.org/nh/amherst/board-of-...
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Interim safety fix approved but long-term solution timeline is uncertain
Good news from 3/2 Amherst BOS: unanimous support for a 4-way stop at Rte 122 & Merrimack Rd — a documented crash-prone intersection. Cost: ~$20K. Caveat: the permanent roundabout fix isn't planned until 2034. One resident noted... https://meetingwatch.org/nh/amherst/board-of-...
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Board caution on personnel cost obligations that outlast grant funding
Amherst BOS approved pursuing a SAFER grant (up to $600K) for new firefighter positions on 3/2 — but wisely pumped the brakes. Board asked for full financial projections through year 4 before committing. Grant money runs out. Sa... https://meetingwatch.org/nh/amherst/board-of-...
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Thread: What happened at the Amherst Board of Selectmen meeting on 3/2/26 — and why residents should pay attention. 🧵 #MeetingWatch
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1/ PUBLIC SAFETY RADIOS ARE ALREADY FAILING. Chief Walton told the board: 'I literally have a bucket of radios in my apparatus bay that cannot be repaired and cannot be used.' Fire Chief Champoli called their equipment 'bricks t...
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2/ The town is applying for 4 federal grants by THIS FRIDAY to replace communications equipment across police, fire, and DPW. Total ask: $1.2M+. That's the right move — but residents deserve to know the situation reached crisis...
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3/ Those grants come with strings. Local match requirements range from 25% to 65%. Total potential taxpayer obligation: $300K–$800K. The board approved all four applications 5-0. Funding sources discussed include CRF funds and h...
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4/ Separately, the Fire Chief presented a SAFER grant worth $500K–$600K that would add firefighter positions. The board was appropriately cautious: they asked for full financial projections through year 4 before deciding. Grant-...
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5/ On Route 122 & Merrimack Rd: the board voted unanimously to support a $20K four-way stop — a real, near-term safety win at a documented crash-prone intersection. But the permanent roundabout fix isn't planned until 2034. A re...
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6/ Bottom line: Amherst's public safety infrastructure has real, urgent gaps. The board is moving, but residents should track whether grant match funding is clearly appropriated — and whether the 2034 roundabout is ever actually prioritize... https://meetingwatch.org/nh/amherst/board-of-selectmen/2026-03-02/ #AmherstNH
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Longer-form draft.
📋 AMHERST BOARD OF SELECTMEN — March 2, 2026 Meeting Recap The most urgent issue of the night wasn't on most residents' radar: Amherst's public safety radio equipment has already reached a point of critical failure. Police Chief Walton described a literal bucket of broken, irreparable radios sitting in the station. Fire Chief Champoli called their gear 'bricks that are falling apart.' Both chiefs told the board plainly: 'We are past the point of a planned replacement. We are in critical need replacement right now.' The board voted 5-0 to authorize four separate federal grant applications totaling over $1.2 million — with a Friday, March 6 deadline — to replace communications equipment across police, fire, and DPW. The strategy of applying to multiple sources makes sense, but residents should be aware: these grants carry local match requirements ranging from 25% to 65%, meaning Amherst taxpayers could be on the hook for $300,000 to $800,000 depending on what's awarded. The board discussed possible sources like CRF funds and hydrant leasing fee savings, but no firm funding plan was presented at this meeting. That detail needs to be resolved publicly before any match commitment is made. The board also took up a SAFER grant opportunity that could fund $500,000–$600,000 for additional firefighter staffing positions. To their credit, the board did not rush this one — they asked the Fire Chief to return with a full financial analysis through year four, recognizing that positions funded by grants become permanent salary obligations once the grant expires. That's responsible governance, and residents should hold them to it. On a more visible issue: the board unanimously supported a $20,000 four-way stop at the Route 122 and Merrimack Road intersection — a documented crash site where angular collisions at posted speeds can be fatal. This is a meaningful near-term safety improvement. However, one resident raised a pointed concern: the permanent $3 million roundabout solution isn't planned until 2034, and a comparable project on Route 101A has been on the state's 10-year plan since 2002 with no action. The board did not directly address what happens if the roundabout never materializes. That question deserves a follow-up. 👉 What to watch: How will the board fund the grant match requirements? Will the SAFER grant financial projections reveal costs the town can actually sustain? And is anyone tracking the 2034 roundabout commitment? These are your tax dollars and your roads — stay engaged. https://meetingwatch.org/nh/amherst/board-of-selectmen/2026-03-02/ #MeetingWatch #AmherstNH