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News Releases- Archives
Mayor Calls on Senate to Reconsider Vote for Statewide Property Tax
April 17, 2002
PORTSMOUTH, NH – Mayor Evelyn Sirrell, leader of the 32 Coalition Communities fighting to overturn the statewide property
tax, Wednesday called on the State Senate to reconsider its vote to send HB1462 to "legislative limbo" and instead stand tall for
the voters of New Hampshire on Thursday by giving them the opportunity to elect candidates based on their plans for solving the
education funding crisis.
"As far as I’m concerned, the 13 Senators who voted to send HB1462 to legislative limbo by calling for another useless study of a
tax everyone knows is a horrible tax are 13 Senators who voted to keep the statewide property tax even though we all know it’s
hurting Donor and Receiver towns, alike.
"I am going to ask my Coalition to work as hard as it can to elect candidates for the next Legislature who aren’t afraid to let the
voters decide how to fund an adequate education," she said.
"And we’re going to make sure that all those other towns that aren’t Donors but are hurting from this too – Receiver towns getting
less in education funding and Receiver towns paying a whole lot more in property taxes because this system is tied to property tax
values – know just how these Senators are not standing up for the voters of New Hampshire by hiding behind excuses. If those
Senators won’t reconsider their vote on Thursday, they’re saying to everyone that they don’t care what happens in our towns.
"What are these Senators so afraid of? Why aren’t they listening to their House colleagues or our citizens? Why are they calling us
fiscally irresponsible to favor this repeal? They’re fiscally irresponsible because they won’t do their jobs and say ‘no’ to this tax so
the next Governor and Legislature can come up with a permanent and fair solution to the education funding problem."
Thursday is the final day for the Senate to act on legislation approved by the House. The Senate on Tuesday voted 13-11 to set up
a study committee to study the issue, rather than repeal it.
HB1462, which would sunset the statewide property tax as of Jan. 1, 2004, was approved by the House on March 7 and more
than 35 people testified in support of it before the Senate Finance Committee on Friday, April 12.
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