Meeting report · Affordable Tomorrow Committee
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Affordable Tomorrow Committee — May 28, 2026
The meeting featured pointed public questioning regarding fraud and high taxes, though the board remained professional and engaged in clarifying the issues.
Public impact
Issues from this meeting with documented community impact.
01
Municipal Tax Rate and Revenue Management
High impact via the annual tax billing cycle and the use of Tax Anticipation Notes (TANs) to manage cash flow. Affected: All Bradford property owners
tax increase
Decisions logged
Every recorded vote, with timestamps and dissents.
Approval of previous meeting minutes with amendments.
Amendments included adding details about the New Hampshire Fiscal Policy Institute webinar and striking a discussion about retirement accounts to reflect it was part of a different update.
Passed (Aye)
Motion to share the draft resident survey with the Select Board.
The committee voted to pass the survey draft to the Select Board (specifically mentioning Devin) to coordinate efforts and avoid duplication.
Passed (Aye)
Motion to pass documentation/information to the Select Board.
A motion was made by a speaker and seconded to pass information to the Select Board.
Passed (Unanimous)
Adjournment of the meeting.
The meeting was motioned to adjourn by a speaker and seconded.
Passed
Topics discussed
Click a topic to expand quotes and full context.
▶ 00:11 Meeting Call to Order and Introductions
The meeting was called to order by Kim Firth, followed by brief personal introductions from committee members regarding their summer plans.
Speakers: Unidentified speaker
▶ 03:05 Approval of Minutes
The committee reviewed the previous meeting minutes, noting required amendments regarding a webinar link from the New Hampshire Fiscal Policy Institute and clarifying a discussion about retirement accounts.
Speakers: Unidentified speaker
▶ 06:27 Update on Municipal Accounting and Audit
Pat Moreland reported on her meeting with Jim Roberts (CPA) to resolve discrepancies in balance sheets. The discussion covered municipal accounting standards (GASB), pension fund liabilities, and the upcoming audit cycle.
Speakers: Unidentified speaker
▶ 29:00 Tax Rate and Revenue Education
A discussion regarding how the municipal tax rate is set, the timing of tax bills (June and December), and the use of Tax Anticipation Notes (TANs) to manage cash flow.
Speakers: Unidentified speaker
▶ 46:00 Resident Priority Survey
The committee discussed a draft survey intended to collect data on resident priorities. Debate ensued regarding whether the questions should focus on general town priorities or specific levels of municipal service/governance.
Speakers: Unidentified speaker
▶ 67:03 Selection Board Documentation Sharing
The committee discussed sharing documentation with Devin and the selection group, specifically noting Chip as the primary contact.
Speakers: Unidentified speaker
▶ 68:26 Meeting Schedule and Planning
The committee reviewed upcoming meeting dates for June, July, and August, and discussed the upcoming community meeting on the 23rd.
Speakers: Unidentified speaker
▶ 71:06 Bradford Center Meeting House Ownership and Legal Status
A discussion regarding the legal and financial relationship between the town and the Friends of the Bradford Community Meeting House, focusing on land ownership, building ownership, and the potential need for a ground lease or memorandum of understanding.
Speakers: Unidentified speaker
Controversy & dissent
Where the board, the community, or the agenda diverged.
Potentially controversial issues
01
Municipal Accounting Discrepancies and Fraud Allegations
A resident raised concerns regarding newspaper allegations of fraud in the Select Board's office. While the board attributed discrepancies to accounting adjustments, the topic touches on public trust and financial integrity.
Board position: The board maintained that the discrepancies were technical accounting adjustments rather than fraudulent activity and worked to clarify the situation via a CPA.
high concern
02
Resident Priority Survey Design
The committee engaged in a debate over the methodology of the resident survey: whether to ask about general town priorities or specific levels of municipal service/governance.
Board position: The committee eventually moved to pass the draft to the Select Board to coordinate efforts.
Internal dissent
The summary notes 'debate ensued' regarding the focus and scope of the survey questions.
medium concern
03
Bradford Center Meeting House Ownership
Discussion regarding the legal/financial relationship between the town and a non-profit, including whether a ground lease should be implemented to generate town revenue.
Board position: The board explored the possibility of a ground lease or memorandum of understanding to formalize the relationship and potentially generate revenue.
medium concern
Community vs. board tension
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Action items
Who owes what, by when.
Share the draft survey with Devin and the Select Board.
Assigned: Don (implied/a speaker) · Due: Coming Monday
Send an email to remind committee members of upcoming meeting dates.
Assigned: Kim Firth (a speaker)
Write a summary/explanation of the tax rate and billing process for the 'Bradford Bridge' publication.
Assigned: a speaker
Send documentation to the Select Board tonight.
Assigned: a speaker · Due: 2026-05-28
Send an email to remind members of upcoming meeting dates.
Assigned: a speaker
Notable statements
Recommendation that the Board of Selectmen and town administrator work with the CPA on software or accounting changes due to his historical knowledge. — Unidentified speaker · Discussing the importance of consistency in municipal accounting practices. ▶ 12:55
Proposed 'Susan's Five Minutes'—a regular meeting segment to educate the committee on annual report items. — Unidentified speaker · Addressing the need for better understanding of municipal financial documents. ▶ 26:05
The purpose of a survey is to collect information, not to educate people; education should be the follow-up phase. — Unidentified speaker · Debating the design of the resident priority survey. ▶ 55:02
Does the town have a memorandum of understanding or a lease with the Friends of the Bradford Community Meeting House? — Unidentified speaker · Questioning the legal relationship between the town and the non-profit managing the meeting house. ▶ 72:08
There probably should be a ground lease. That would be a source of revenue. — Unidentified speaker · Suggesting a way for the town to generate revenue from the land it owns under the meeting house. ▶ 75:51
Public comment
What residents said — verbatim, with timestamps.
5
Total speakers
3
Addressed
2
Partial
0
Not addressed
Unidentified speaker
Partial
The speaker asks if the new selectwoman has been invited to attend the committee meetings. They also express frustration regarding a newspaper article that alleged fraud in the selectman's office.
Key concern
Inclusion of select board members in meetings and addressing allegations of municipal fraud.
Board responseThe board (specifically a speaker) clarified that Chip is the current representative. Regarding the fraud, committee members engaged in a discussion to clarify that financial discrepancies were due to accounting adjustments, not fraud.
The board answered the question about representation but did not take official action on the newspaper allegations, instead discussing them as part of a larger financial clarification.
Pat Moreland
Addressed
Pat provides a detailed report on her meeting with the town's CPA to clarify balance sheet discrepancies and pension fund accounting. She also raises concerns about public perception of fraud and suggests the committee could play an educational role.
Key concern
Clarifying municipal accounting/balance sheets and improving financial literacy/transparency for the community.
Board responseThe committee members discussed her findings, validated her clarification of the balance sheets, and agreed to her idea of a regular educational segment in meetings.
The committee fully engaged with her report and adopted her suggestion for a new educational agenda item.
Unidentified speaker
Partial
The speaker criticizes the town's high property taxes and expresses concern about the lack of space for community meetings. They also mention a potential large-scale land sale and its impact on traffic.
Key concern
High property taxes, school spending, and inadequate meeting facilities/space.
Board responseThe board explained that they do not have jurisdiction over school matters and suggested contacting the school board representative directly.
The board addressed the jurisdictional aspect of the school concerns but did not provide a solution for the tax or facility concerns.
Susan Friedenberg
Addressed
Susan proposes a recurring five-minute segment called 'Susan's Five Minutes' to educate the committee on annual reports. She also asks for clarification on how the property tax rate is set and applied.
Key concern
Improving financial education for the committee and understanding the tax cycle.
Board responseThe board agreed to add the educational segment to the agenda and provided a detailed explanation of the tax assessment and billing process.
The committee accepted her proposal and board members provided the specific information she requested regarding taxes.
Pat Moreland
Addressed
Pat inquires about the legal relationship between the town and the 'Friends of the Bradford Community Meeting House.' She suggests that a ground lease might be a way to generate revenue for the town.
Key concern
The legal/financial arrangement regarding the meeting house and potential revenue generation.
Board responseThe board members discussed the history of the building and the town's ownership of the land, noting that the building is maintained by a nonprofit.
The board engaged in a collaborative discussion to clarify the ownership and maintenance structure of the building.
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Report composed by
grok-4.3, gemma-4-26b, grok-4.20-0309-reasoning · analyzed 2026-06-01.