Members of the Hudson Budget Committee got their first look at the town’s default budget figures for fiscal year 2027-28 on Oct. 7 and 8, while also discussing the upcoming town-wide property revaluation and new authority over the default budget process.
“We’ve prepared that for the Budget Committee,” said Town Administrator Roy Sorenson, who presented a large, organized booklet to committee members. “It’s your purview this year. You do have exclusive control over the default budget if you feel the numbers aren’t right or something should change in there.”
The default budget has been a major area of concern for the Budget Committee, which formed its own subcommittee to scrutinize the numbers.
“Where does our subcommittee stand with regard to putting together a default budget?” asked Committee member Bill Cole. “I had no expectation that the town was going to do anything but provide information.”
The Town Administrator noted that town staff made recommendations on how the Budget Committee might proceed in the main proposal for the full 2027/2028 town budget. With default subcommittee member Shawn Jasper sick, they were unable to go into as much detail about the default numbers as originally intended.
Town Clerk Emilie Leclerc was at the meeting to present a town budget for the first time.
“This budget is for the fiscal year 2027/2028 Town Clerk’s Office, and it’s designed to maintain and preserve vital and historic permanent records, distribute dog licenses and related fees, provide prompt and courteous service to residents and town staff, and assist with upholding a transparent and fair democratic process through the effective administration of elections,” said Leclerc. “You will notice that there will not be an increase or decrease within my budget, but it will reflect three elections for fiscal year 2028.”
Those elections are scheduled for January, March, and June.
“Looking historically, because the Town Clerk is an elected position, how do we go forward with setting the salary for that position?” asked Committee member Kevin Walsh.
According to Sorenson, the salary was based on a voter-approved wage scale.
Chief Assessor James Michaud was at the meeting to give an overview of the Assessing Department.
“You will see in the budget that’s presented that it’s fairly flat. Outside of salary and benefits, it’s a 0% increase and 0% decrease,” said Michaud, reflecting a request from the Board of Selectmen for level funding. “It will cover us for the revaluation year next year, and the expense of that revaluation, in terms of our external cost, is in an account because we’ve already contracted for that. The money has been set aside for it.”
Due to the pending revaluation, he expected a relatively busy year for his department. A warrant article to fund the property revaluation capital reserve account will likely be included in the next March election.
“With House Bill 1300 being signed into law to look at the spending cap and tax cap, can you provide what that means for us?” asked Walsh, referring to a state law that will place an expenditure cap question on the ballot during the upcoming November election.
According to Michaud, the law includes a tax cap formula, and the state Department of Revenue Administration has promised to provide “guidance” if such a cap passes in Hudson to determine how it could impact local property tax revenue.
Overall, the Budget Committee was optimistic about this year’s budget process.
“This schedule is a lot better than what we dealt with last year,” said Chair James Lawrence.
Final approved numbers for the town budget are expected by the end of October. School Board member Dan Kilgour also hopes to have numbers for the school budget completed by the end of the month, although he could not provide an exact date.
