The Dublin Budget Committee met Tuesday night at Town Hall to discuss the 2023 budget. 

They have not settled on a proposed operating budget for 2023 yet. The current operating budget is approximately $2.3 million.

On Tuesday, committee members decided to budget $6,500 for a director position for the town’s Summer Playground camp program, $500 more than they budgeted for this year. They acknowledged that they would not need to use the entire amount for a new hire if the person did not have the experience to warrant the salary, but “it leaves us flexible enough to find someone,” said Select Board representative Carole Monroe. 

Committee members also discussed the Conservation Commission budget. 

“We as a town have been doing a pretty good job at cutting back on invasives,” said Monroe.

Dublin residents are not charged for spraying services, but committee member Susie Vogel questioned whether it would make sense to include a charge, wondering if it would make people more committed to being present for the process, which may in turn, speed up the spraying days.

Committee co-secretary Judy Knapp considered the other side, that people may be less likely to opt into the service if they had to pay. They decided they could ask for contributions to the spraying for residents who wish to support the service and add a line for revenue. Two days of spraying would cost the town $4,600, which they are budgeting for. 

The committee also discussed repairs needed for the library. The chimney and foyer are leaking, and paying for these repairs will appear as a warrant article on the ballot.

Monroe said the question will be, “How much do we do this year and how much do we postpone for another year?” 

On the ballot this year will be also be a warrant article regarding participating in a community power plan, which allows a community to combine its electricity usage together and negotiate where their power supply comes from. Cheshire County has a community power plan, and the county is a member of Community Power Coalition of New Hampshire, the nonprofit Peterborough has independently committed to joining.

Dublin has the opportunity to source power from the coalition if it chooses to do so, and the committee members said a survey will also be going to Dublin residents to “take the temperature of the town and see whether the town has an appetite for community power,” said Monroe.

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