MANCHESTER, N.H. – The Manchester Board of Mayor and Aldermen did not vote upon the Fiscal Year 2027 budget amounts for the City of Manchester and the Manchester School District during their April 21 meeting, but a vote appears to be likely soon, given some of the comments made during the meeting.
A motion by Ward 8 Alderman Ed Sapienza to suspend the board’s rules and take final votes on both budgets was ruled out of order by Manchester Mayor Jay Ruais, citing Rule 21 of the board’s rules. Manchester City Clerk Matt Normand explained that under Rule 21, any resolutions appropriating money or ordinances imposing a penalty must be presented at a regular meeting and must wait at least until five days following a committee report. Normand added that Rule 21 cites that the rule cannot be suspended given that it came directly from the city’s charter and that the board agreed to this and other board rules during their Jan. 6, 2026 meeting.
The five-day waiting period began after the board met in their role as the Board of Mayor and Aldermen’s Committee on Finance, recommending both budgets and various other budget resolutions ought to pass with the recommendation to layover. Barring the unforeseen, the next scheduled meeting of the board is expected on May 5.
The appropriation numbers recommended in the budget resolution for the school district was $234,981,749 and $195,337,885 for the city.
Ward 7 Alderman Ross Terrio asked whether future school budgets could be finalized earlier in the year. He said educators have told him that most neighboring districts complete their budgets in the spring, while Manchester’s process extends to the end of June. That later timeline can leave teachers at a disadvantage—if their positions are cut in Manchester, nearby districts may have already finished hiring.
Terrio did not give a specific timeframe though, noting that in years with an inauguration, the mayor’s office has plenty of other duties beginning a new term.
Ruais responded that budget numbers are often in flux or unavailable until certain times and the more time is given, the more accurate and stable the numbers that are used in the budget process will be.
Sapienza also asked for data required from the Manchester School District under the Students First Act, echoing former Board of School Committee member Rich Girard’s comments during public comment where Girard said a proper decision could not be made without Students First Act data.
Ruais initially stated that data had been submitted by the Manchester School District in February, but later was informed through a remote message during the meeting by Manchester School District Superintendent Jenn Chmiel that the data would be provided online seven days before a final vote on the school budget.