O P I N I O N
THE SOAPBOX
Stand up. Speak up. It’s your turn.
If you live in Manchester, you’re already feeling the pressure—higher property taxes, strained schools, and growing demands on local services.
Now, the State’s own financial report confirms something even more troubling: the situation is getting worse, not better.
The Fiscal Year 2025 report shows New Hampshire’s financial position dropped by more than $750 million in just one year. The state ran a deficit. And instead of fixing the problem, leadership in Concord covered it by drawing down reserves.
That might sound abstract. It isn’t.
When the state weakens its finances, the burden doesn’t disappear—it shifts. And too often, it shifts directly onto cities like Manchester.
Here’s what happened.
At a time when business tax revenues were falling sharply, Republican lawmakers and Governor Kelly Ayotte eliminated the Interest and Dividends Tax—one of the few stable sources of state revenue. Meanwhile, other revenue streams like tobacco and liquor taxes continue to decline.
That leaves the state increasingly dependent on volatile sources of income.
When those sources fall short—as they did this year—the state fills the gap by using reserves or shifting money around internally. In fact, the report shows funds meant for education were used to support broader state expenses.
And when the state can’t keep up?
Local taxpayers do.
Manchester already carries one of the heaviest property tax burdens in the state. When Concord underfunds its obligations—or makes decisions that weaken its financial position—it puts even more pressure on local budgets, schools, and homeowners.
This is not sustainable.
Fiscal responsibility isn’t about slogans. It’s about making sure the numbers work—not just this year, but five years from now. Right now, they don’t.
We are seeing a pattern:
- Cutting stable revenue
- Ignoring predictable declines
- Using one-time money to fill ongoing gaps
- Shifting costs instead of solving them
That’s not conservative budgeting. That’s kicking the can down the road.
And here in Manchester, we’re the ones who will pay the price.
It’s time for a course correction. We need honest budgeting, sustainable revenue, and a state government that stops shifting the burden onto local communities.
Because if we don’t act now, the next financial report won’t just be a warning.
It will be a crisis.
NH Rep. David Preece represents Manchester in the New Hampshire House of Representatives and is a longtime urban and regional planner who previously served as executive director of the Southern New Hampshire Planning Commission.
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