The Hooksett Budget Committee voted 8-1 to recommend a $44,850,349 school budget for presentation at the public hearing and for the warrant process.

Germano Martins, a member of the budget committee, moved to finalize the budget figure as presented; the motion was seconded by Arianne Susie. After brief discussion, the committee approved the recommendation by voice vote and then confirmed the result by roll call; the committee recorded the outcome as 8 in favor and 1 opposed.

Why it matters: the committee’s recommendation places the school budget and accompanying warrant articles before the public hearing and is the formal step required before deliberative session and the warrant vote. Committee members discussed the procedural rules governing public hearings and the need to disclose purposes and amounts at the final hearing.

A town official read language from state statute on requirements for public hearings related to budgets and warrant articles, noting that "all purposes and amounts of appropriation to be included in the budget or special warrant articles shall be disclosed or discussed at that hearing" and that the governing body generally may not add new appropriations after that hearing without holding an additional public hearing. Committee members discussed logistics for the public hearing, including the order of presenting the municipal and school warrant articles and the option to defer recommendations until a subsequent meeting if significant public comment requires it.

The committee also discussed minor procedural items — how warrant articles will be presented at the public hearing, the timing of the public hearing and deliberative session, and the committee’s role in making an up-or-down recommendation after public input. The committee indicated it will present the finalized budget and the warrant articles at the scheduled public hearing and may issue formal recommendations at that meeting or at a follow-up session, depending on the volume of public comment.

Formal action: the committee voted to recommend the school budget amount $44,850,349 for presentation at the public hearing; the motion passed 8-1.