CONCORD, NEW HAMPSHIRE – Today, Governor Sununu gave his 2021 Budget Address. Following the address, Representative Mary Jane Wallner (D-Concord), Ranking Democrat on the House Finance Committee, and Representative Manny Espitia (D-Nashua), Democratic Floor Leader, released the following statement:
Representative Mary Jane Wallner (D-Concord) said, “I have learned over many terms in the Finance Committee that the devil is always in the details. What I heard today was that this budget proposal would do a lot of downshifting back to our local communities and our local property taxpayers. In the Democratic budget that passed last term we included an additional $138 million for our public schools and $40 million for municipal aid to cities and towns. The Governor mentioned $30 million in one time grants but said nothing about continuing the level of investment that our schools actually need. To be clear, if we reduce the amount of money we are investing in our schools and cities and towns, local property tax payers will be forced to make up the difference. As we dig into the details of this budget, House Democrats will be fighting to make sure that we are not downshifting costs to our citizens and municipalities.”
“There are so many great reasons why young people would want to work and raise a family in New Hampshire, from our excellent public education system to our vibrant cities and towns to our incredible natural resources,” added Representative Manny Espitia (D-Nashua). “As a new homeowner myself, I am deeply invested in the wellbeing of my community and our state, but we cannot afford to pick up the tab so that large, out of state corporations can get a tax break. Governor Sununu’s vision might sound great from the podium, but I fear that this Republican budget will lead to decreased investment in public education and increased property taxes on the backs of citizens and small businesses across the state.”