What to Know About the 2025 Deliberative Sessions

Note location change!

Town Deliberative Session and Election Relocated to the Community Center

The town deliberative session and the election have been moved to the Community Center because the school’s heating system has become unreliable.

The town’s deliberative session starts at 9:00 am on Saturday, February 1.

The school’s deliberative session will be held at the school, on Wednesday, February 5.

Candidacy Period

The candidacy period for running for town office ends January 31. Nottingham town government depends on volunteers to serve in these roles. Selectman Morin says that the Planning Board is particularly in need of candidates. Three positions are open on the Planning Board and the Budget Committee, and most other boards and committees have at least one open position.

Town Warrant Articles and Budget

The Budget Committee recommends the town’s proposed operating budget on a 5-2 vote. If the budget passes, the estimated tax impact will be $3.06 per $1,000. If it fails, it will be $2.85 per $1,000. This is a difference of $21 per $100k of property valuation. The proposed budget is 7.3% higher than the default budget.

Nearly all of the spending warrant articles are recommended by both the Board of Selectmen and the Budget Committee except for two:

• #24 for $10k to restore funding to the Nottingham Community Newsletter. The board recommends this on a 3-1-1 vote. The Budget Committee does not recommend it on a 1-6 vote.

• #22 for $120k for paving the section of Stevens Hill Road between Deerfield Road and the existing paved section. The board and the Budget Committee unanimously do not recommend this warrant article proposed by citizen petition. Interestingly, this section of road is one of several sections of road included in Warrant Article #12 proposed by the board for road reconstruction. Both the board and the Budget Committee recommend that warrant article to the voters. Paving of Stevens Hill Road was included in last year’s road reconstruction warrant article that was also recommended to voters but which the voters rejected.

Several non-spending warrant articles are on the ballot, including:

• #26 to increase tax exemptions for the elderly.

• #25 to increase tax exemptions for the disabled.

• #23 to index the tax cap to inflation and changes in the town’s population

• #21 to censure Upton & Hatfield, the former Town Attorney, for poor performance.

• #20 to accept Maple Ridge Road as a town road.

• #19 to lift the tax cap to 6% for two years.

• #1 through #6 for zoning regulation changes.

School Warrant Articles and Budget

The Budget Committee recommends the school’s proposed operating budget on a 7-3 vote. If the budget passes, the estimated tax impact will be $15.82 per $1,000. If it fails, it will be $15.31 per $1,000. This is a difference of $51 per $100k of property valuation.

All of this year’s school warrant articles were unanimously recommended by the school board.

The Budget Committee, however, found reasons for concern with four of the warrant articles.

• #4 about the collective bargaining agreement failed to obtain the Budget Committee’s approval on a 5-5 vote.

• #6 about the high school tuition agreement barely obtained the Budget Committee’s approval on a 5-4-1 vote.

• #10 to add $10k to the grounds improvement capital reserve barely obtained the Budget Committee’s approval on a 6-4 vote.

• #11 to add $10k to the textbook capital reserve barely obtained the Budget Committee’s approval on a 6-4 vote.

Warrant article #3 notes that the School Board anticipates spending $65k to repair the school’s heating system while asking the voters to add $325k to the building repair capital reserve fund.