Dunbarton taxpayers demand one-time tax break from $1 million school surplus

State Rep. JR Hoell, representing the taxpayers of Dunbarton, told a superior court judge Tuesday that the town’s school board has no choice but to return $1 million wrongfully collected from residents in the form of a one-time tax break.

And the discovery of the unspent money does not signal an emergency that requires a special town meeting, despite town officials’ call for one, Hoell argued.

“What we don’t have here is an immediate expenditure of money,” Hoell said, speaking to Superior Court Justice Richard McNamara about the rationale given for the meeting request. “The transfer of money from one account to an account to retain it for a five-year period doesn’t seem to meet the requirements of an expenditure.”

The school district requested permission from Merrimack County Superior Court on Tuesday to host a special meeting on Sep. 26 to allow voters to decide what to do with $1.06 million after an independent audit of School Administrative Unit 19 found the extra money paid in from Dunbarton taxpayers.

Read more: https://www.concordmonitor.com/Superior-Court-hears-arguments-for-Dunbarton-tax-error-18889769