As the Town of Hudson enters budget season, Board of Selectmen Chair Dillon Dumont is encouraging residents to get involved early in the process to ensure informed decision-making ahead of March’s voting day.
“I do just want to remind everybody, if anybody’s still watching, to please ask questions about the budget,” Dumont said during Selectmen comments at the most recent Board of Selectmen meeting. “Reach out for information. I don’t want to overwhelm the staff, but I think the more that people ask questions before we get to Deliberative (Session) and before we get to March (Voting Day), hopefully the better informed they can get and vote appropriately. So, please, if you have any questions, reach out with that.”
Dumont’s remarks came as the Board wrapped up its review of the proposed FY27 budget, which will now be sent to the Budget Committee for further evaluation.
Town Administrator Roy Sorenson, in his first year serving Hudson, also commented on the budget process during his Administrator remarks, expressing appreciation for the staff’s efforts.
“I just want to say thanks to the staff getting through this budget sequence – Laurie May and Dan Thibeault, and just really everyone down in finance,” Sorenson said. “Kim Brookes putting the payroll together, working with police, Erika Rivere and Sherry Kimball, the whole reorganization with development services. There’s a lot of moving pieces here.”
Sorenson noted that changes made to the budget book this year were productive, even if they added pressure to staff.
“I might have put a little bit more pressure on the employees doing those changes,” Sorenson said. “But in the end, I think it’s worth it. And we’ll keep moving forward. We’ll head off to the Budget Committee. We’ll get the books ready for them. And we’ll continue to move on through the process.”
Also during the meeting, the Board received an update on the status of two community members nominated to serve on the Lower Merrimack River Local Advisory Committee.
Sorenson confirmed that the State of New Hampshire’s Rivers Management Advisory Committee formally appointed Kathy Nardoni and Ruth Sessions to the committee.
“This is a three-year appointment and will ensure that Hudson has an active and engaged voice in the stewardship and management of the Lower Merrimack River corridor, in accordance with the 2023 updated LMRLAC management plan,” Sorenson wrote.
He added that he plans to reach out to the appointees to learn more about their work.
“I think it’s important that the Board understands what they’re working on and things of that nature,” Sorenson said.
The next Selectmen meeting is set for Monday, Nov. 10 at 7 p.m.
