Portsmouth City Council Adopts $96M Budget

The Portsmouth City Council adopted a $96 million budget Monday night that increases the tax rate by 21 cents, or 1.17 percent.

The budget for fiscal year 2015, which begins July 1, means an increase of about $66 for the median single-family homeowner based on a $316,600 valuation, according to City Manager John Bohenko.

Portsmouth's total budget of $96 million is considering all accounts and funds. The operating budget, which funds day-to-day government services, is $75,737,440, which is a 3.24 percent increase.

The tax rate of $18.12 keeps the city on a four-year average of about 18 cents. The state Department of Revenue Administration sets the rate in the fall.

The council voted 7-2 to adopt the budget. Councilors Esther E. Kennedy and Jack Thorsen opposed it.

Councilor Bradley Lown said the public should know that department heads, working with the city manager, did reduce spending requests by about $500,000. He noted, for example, that the police department has the same number of officers it had in 1985.

"It's a reasonable budget. It's not extravagant," Lown said.

Some budget highlights include:

• Property tax levy for FY 2015: $74,266,738
• Portsmouth will see about $1.5 million in increased revenue since the city eliminated the "first hour free' and increased the hourly rate in the parking garage.
• There is a net personnel increase of 3.11 full-time equivalent employees, but Portsmouth is still below 2009 staffing levels by 33 positions.

• Senior services – New investments in outreach and programming, including introduction of a new senior services supervisor and the planned introduction of an interim senior programming space.

• Planning Department – With recent investment and developments, the City Council had authorized an associate planner position, increased consulting services for reviewing construction plans and performing inspections for zoning compliance, and added staff resources for transcribing minutes for land use boards, as well as invested in new tools to help the Planning Department and boards.

• Parking Shuttle Service – The new weekend parking shuttle (which began May 2) between the Market Street Church lot and the city's municipal garage at no cost to riders.