Accountability posts
Drafts ready to share. Click to copy, then post. Selectboard · Sunapee, NH · March 16, 2026.
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Unresolved public safety and budget risk around ambulance service with no formal plan
Sunapee Selectboard 3/16: The town is paying $67,000+/yr to New London Hospital for ambulance service — and a board member warned upcoming service changes could force Sunapee to create its own. No formal study ordered. No timeline set. Worth watching closely.
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Tax rate increase and lack of board effort to reduce it
Sunapee's 2026 municipal tax rate rises from $2.71 to $3.00 per thousand. That's $116/yr more on a $400K home, $435/yr more on a $1.5M home. Board accepted the increase without seeking further reductions. (3/16 Selectboard meeting)
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Staffing crisis and the civic climate driving it
Sunapee's Town Manager said on 3/16 that the town's hostile public environment deters job applicants: 'people see how you can get annihilated here.' 5+ critical positions are vacant: fire chief, code officer, heavy equipment operator, police officer, and more.
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Collapse of non-tax revenue and its long-term budget implications
Sunapee's hydroelectric plant used to bring in significant non-tax revenue. The long-term contract has expired. The most recent check: $17,000. The board noted it and moved on. Every dollar lost there eventually shows up in your tax bill.
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Five things Sunapee residents should know from the 3/16 Selectboard meeting. A thread. 🧵
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1/ TAX INCREASE. The municipal tax rate rises from $2.71 → $3.00 per thousand in 2026. On a $400K home, that's $116 more per year. On a $1.5M home, $435 more. The board accepted this without seeking further reductions.
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2/ AMBULANCE GAP. Sunapee pays $67,000+/yr to New London Hospital for ambulance service. A board member flagged that upcoming service changes may force the town to stand up its own ambulance — a major cost. No formal study was ordered. No timeline set.
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3/ STAFFING CRISIS. Five or more critical positions are vacant: fire chief, code compliance officer, heavy equipment operator, police officer, buildings/grounds foreman. The Town Manager acknowledged the town's combative public climate is scaring off candidates.
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4/ HIRING FAILURE — IN PUBLIC. Resident Cindy Spear told the board on 3/16 that a qualified applicant for the heavy equipment operator job was placed on a short list, then never contacted back despite follow-up emails. The Town Manager cited document issues and her leave as factors.
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5/ HYDRO REVENUE COLLAPSE. The town's hydroelectric plant long-term contract has expired. The latest revenue check: $17,000 — a fraction of historical returns. The board noted it with no action. Lost non-tax revenue means higher property taxes fill the gap.
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Longer-form draft.
Here's what happened at the Sunapee Selectboard meeting on March 16, 2026 — and why residents should be paying attention. **Tax rate going up.** The municipal portion of Sunapee's 2026 tax rate is rising from $2.71 to $3.00 per thousand dollars of assessed value. For a home assessed at $400,000, that's roughly $116 more per year. For a $1.5 million property, it's $435 more. The board accepted the budget outcome and resulting increase without seeking further cuts. The Town Manager acknowledged 'money is tight for everybody' while offering context about what $116 represents — a framing that didn't sit well with everyone in the room. **A public safety question with no formal answer.** Board member a speaker raised a pointed concern: Sunapee is paying more than $67,000 a year to New London Hospital for ambulance service, and upcoming changes to that service may force the town to create its own. The vast majority of fire department calls are already medical in nature. This is a significant public safety and budget issue — but it was raised informally, with no study ordered and no timeline set for a decision. **Five critical positions vacant — and a hostile climate is part of why.** The Town Manager was candid: code compliance officer, fire chief, heavy equipment operator, police officer, and buildings/grounds foreman are all unfilled. She stated directly that Sunapee's combative public environment deters applicants — 'people see how you can get annihilated here.' A resident, Cindy Spear, backed that up with a specific example: a job applicant for the heavy equipment operator position was placed on a short list, then never contacted back despite sending follow-up emails. The Town Manager committed to improving applicant communication, but no concrete timeline or hiring plan was put forward. **And the hydroelectric plant's revenue has collapsed.** The town's hydro plant used to generate meaningful non-tax income under a long-term contract. That contract has expired. The most recent revenue check came in at approximately $17,000. The board noted it and moved on. Lost non-tax revenue doesn't disappear — it shifts onto property tax bills. Residents deserve a clear conversation about what the town plans to do about it.