Town meeting time is here
March is here, and for most New Hampshire towns, that means the annual town meeting. “All politics is local” is a commonly used phrase that holds truth. Town elections are where your vote holds the most weight and yields results that directly affect your community and your life.
Article 18 on the Antrim Town Warrant provides residents a way to make their voices heard at the state level. A petition signed by 53 voters registered in Antrim added this article to the warrant. The article asks whether Antrim supports requiring the state legislature to protect local taxpayers by adequately funding essential services and preventing policies that shift costs to local property taxpayers. State budgets have reduced or eliminated revenue sources such as the Interest and Dividends Tax, the Business Profits Tax, and the Meals and Rooms Tax. To counteract the loss of this income, the state has shifted the costs of education, county services, and infrastructure to the towns, resulting in higher property taxes.
This article is nonbinding and does not call for an appropriation of funds. However, it does send a clear message that Antrim expects the state to pay its fair share. If the article is adopted, the Antrim Select Board will send the results of the vote to the governor and all members of the General Court representing Antrim within 30 days.
Antrim Town Meeting is on Thursday, March 12, at 6 p.m. upstairs at Town Hall. The full warrant is on the town of Antrim website: www.antrimnh.org/
Voters in all New Hampshire towns should learn about their town meetings, attend them and make their voices heard where it matters most: at home!