Selectmen hear early interest in raising veterans' tax credit; public commenter urges school-board engagement

Several attendees raised veterans’ tax-credit policy and school-board engagement during the meeting’s new-business and public-comment portions.

Selectmen said a fellow combat veteran contacted them proposing an increase to the town’s veterans’ tax credit from $500 to $750. The chair and selectmen noted the change would need approval at town meeting; they described the eligibility framework as governed by state RSA (as discussed in the meeting) and said the town must quantify fiscal impacts before placing such a measure on the warrant. Selectmen estimated there are about 303 veterans eligible under the town’s existing definition but said they had not yet produced a cost estimate for an increase.

In public comment, resident Sean Kitson urged the selectmen to encourage the town’s school-board representatives to be more actively engaged at school-board meetings, saying he observed board members at a recent meeting did not ask questions when budget figures and warrant-article proposals were discussed. Kitson suggested the selectmen contact the school-board representatives to encourage more engagement; selectmen said they could raise the matter directly or individual selectmen could attend school-board sessions.

Selectmen said the veterans’ credit proposal may be raised as either a selectmen-sponsored warrant article or a resident petition and indicated they would check legal requirements with the town attorney and provide further information before town meeting.

Ending: The board scheduled related public hearings in January; any formal veterans-credit proposal will require a fiscal estimate and a vote at town meeting.