HB 1227

relative to the calculation of the local tax cap.

Filed 2026 · Killed · Municipal and County Government · Municipalities

Official record at gencourt.state.nh.us ↗

Open this bill in the searchable view → · Follow this bill by RSS

On the record

Quoted from the General Court bill status page, not worked out from the docket.

Status	HOUSE
Introduced	1/7/2026
Floor date	3/5/2026
LSR number	2722
Local government impact	no
Committee code	H18

Bill text (PDF) ↗

Where it stands

Pending action in the other chamber

What happened

Every action recorded in the official docket, in order. Each line ends with the journal or calendar that recorded it; where we have the document, that citation links to it.

January 7, 2026Introduced 01/07/2026 and referred to Municipal and County Government
January 16, 2026Public Hearing: 01/16/2026 09:45 am GP 154
January 16, 2026Executive Session: 01/16/2026 09:45 am GP 154
February 2, 2026Majority Committee Report: Inexpedient to Legislate 01/20/2026 (Vote 11-7; RC)
February 2, 2026Minority Committee Report: Ought to Pass
March 5, 2026Inexpedient to Legislate: MA RC 176-151 03/05/2026

Votes

Roll call tallies and individual votes from the General Court roll call files. Presiding, excused and absent are shown separately: one member presides over each House roll call and does not vote except to break a tie.

Inexpedient to Legislate

March 5, 2026 · House · 176–151, adopted

Votes by party
Party	Yes	No	Presiding	Excused	Absent
Republican	174	2	1	30	8
Democrat	2	149	0	15	10
Independent	0	0	0	0	1
Total	176	151	1	45	19

Yes — 176

Aldrich, Glen(R) Belk 6
Alexander, Joe(R) Hills 29
Ammon, Keith(R) Hills 42
Aron, Judy(R) Sull 4
Aron, Michael(R) Sull 8
Aures, Cyril(R) Merr 13
Avellani, Lino(R) Carr 4
Aylward, Deborah(R) Merr 5
Bailey, Glenn(R) Straf 2
Barbour, Liz(R) Hills 35
Barton, Joseph(R) Graf 1
Beaulier, Calvin(R) Graf 1
Belcher, Mike(R) Carr 4
Bennett, Cindy(R) Rock 4
Berezhny, Lex(R) Graf 11
Bernardy, JD(R) Rock 36
Berry, Ross(R) Hills 44
Bjelobrk, Marie Louise(R) Graf 5
Boehm, Ralph(R) Hills 38
Bogert, Steven(R) Belk 5
Boyd, Stephen(R) Merr 10
Bridle, Nicholas(R) Rock 29
Brown, Pam(R) Rock 14
Brown, Richard(R) Carr 8
Bryer, Scott(R) Rock 1
Burnham, Claudine(R) Straf 2
Cambrils, Jose(R) Merr 4
Colcombe, Riché(R) Hills 30
Cole, Brian(R) Hills 26
Comtois, Barbara(R) Belk 7
Corcoran, Travis(R) Hills 28
Crawford, Karel(R) Carr 3
Creighton, James(R) Hills 30
Daniels, Gary(R) Hills 43
Davis, Arnold(R) Coos 2
DeDe-Poulin, Denise(R) Straf 6
DeLemus, Susan(R) Straf 1
DeRoy, Susan(R) Straf 3
DeSimone, Debra(R) Rock 18
Devoid, Ricky(R) Merr 1
Dolan, Tom(R) Rock 16
Donnelly, Tanya(R) Rock 25
Drago, Mike(R) Rock 4
Drye, Margaret(R) Sull 7
Dumont, Dillon(R) Hills 13
Dunn, Ron(R) Rock 16
Durkin, Sean(R) Coos 1
Edwards, Jess(R) Rock 31
Erf, Keith(R) Hills 28
Farrington, Samuel(R) Straf 8
Flanagan, Jack(R) Hills 45
Foote, Charles(R) Rock 13
Ford, Mary(R) Rock 3
Freeman, Lisa(R) Belk 8
Gagne, Larry(R) Hills 16
Giasson, Henry(R) Hills 29
Gonzalez, Ernesto(R) Merr 3
Gorski, Ted(R) Hills 2
Gould, Linda(R) Hills 2
Granger, Michael(R) Straf 2
Grant, George(R) Sull 5
Griffin, Gerald(R) Hills 42
Guzofski, James(R) Rock 1
Hall, Robley(R) Straf 1
Hamblen, Joseph(R) Carr 3
Harb, Robert(R) Rock 20
Harrington, Michael(R) Straf 18
Hemingway, Wayne(R) Sull 6
Hill, Gregory(R) Merr 2
Hunt, John(R) Ches 14
Janigian, John(R) Rock 25
Kaczynski, Thomas(R) Straf 5
Karasinski, Sly(R) Ches 10
Katsakiores, Phyllis(R) Rock 13
Kelley, Diane(R) Hills 32
Kenny, Catherine(R) Hills 13
Kesselring, Steven(R) Hills 18
Khan, Aboul(R) Rock 30
King, Seth(R) Coos 4
Kofalt, Jim(R) Hills 32
Korzen, Lori(R) Coos 7
Kuttab, Katelyn(R) Rock 17
Labrie, Brian(R) Hills 2
Ladd, Rick(R) Graf 5
Lascelles, Richard(R) Hills 14
Layon, Erica(R) Rock 13
Leavitt, John(R) Merr 10
Litchfield, Melissa(R) Rock 32
Louis, Darrell(R) Graf 1
Love, David(R) Rock 13
Lynn, Bob(R) Rock 17
MacDonald, John(R) Carr 6
MacDonald, Wayne(R) Rock 16
Mandelbaum, Jennifer(D) Rock 21
Mannion, Dennis(R) Rock 25
Mannion, Tom(R) Hills 1
Markell, Jay(R) Rock 18
Mattson, Rita(R) Ches 18
Mazur, Lisa(R) Hills 44
McDonnell, Valerie(R) Rock 25
McFarlane, Donald(R) Graf 18
McGrath, Linda(R) Rock 40
McGuire, Carol(R) Merr 27
McGuire, Dan(R) Merr 14
McLean, Mark(R) Hills 15
McMahon, Charles(R) Rock 17
Mehegan, Peter(R) Merr 12
Melvin, Charles(R) Rock 20
Miles, Julie(R) Hills 12
Milz, David(R) Rock 13
Miner, Laurence(R) Rock 7
Mooney, Maureen(R) Hills 12
Morton, Jonathan(R) Hillsborough 39
Murphy, Denis(R) Ches 11
Murphy, Mary(R) Hills 27
Nadeau, Brian(R) Rock 4
Nalevanko, Rich(R) Ches 9
Noble, Kristin(R) Hills 2
Notter, Jeanine(R) Hills 12
Ohm, Bill(R) Hills 10
Osborne, Jason(R) Rock 2
Ouellet, Mike(R) Coos 3
Pauer, Diane(R) Hills 36
Pearson, Mark(R) Rock 34
Pearson, Stephen(R) Rock 13
Peeples, Raymond(R) Hills 14
Perez, Kristine(R) Rock 16
Pitaro, Matthew(R) Merr 11
Plante, Raymond(R) Merr 27
Ploszaj, Tom(R) Belk 1
Polozov, Yury(R) Merr 10
Popovici-Muller, Daniel(R) Rock 17
Porcelli, Susan(R) Rock 19
Post, Lisa(R) Hills 42
Potenza, Kelley(R) Straf 19
Potucek, John(R) Rock 13
Presa, Adam(R) Hills 12
Proulx, Mark(R) Hills 15
Prout, Andrew(R) Hills 13
Prudhomme-O'Brien, Katherine(R) Rock 13
Qualey, James(R) Ches 18
Reinfurt, Sherri(R) Hills 29
Rhodes, Jennifer(R) Ches 17
Rollins, Skip(R) Sull 3
Sabourin dit Choinière, Matt(R) Rock 30
Schneller, John(R) Hills 2
Scully, Kevin(R) Hills 8
Seaworth, Brian(R) Merr 12
See, Alvin(R) Merr 26
Selby, Donald(R) Rock 9
Sellers, John(R) Graf 10
Sheehan, Vanessa(R) Hills 43
Sirois, Shane(R) Hills 32
Slottje, Jeremy(R) Hills 13
Smith, Jonathan(R) Carr 5
Soti, Julius(R) Rock 35
Spilsbury, Walter(R) Sull 3
Sweeney, Joe(R) Rock 25
Sytek, John(R) Rock 25
Taylor, Brian(R) Carr 8
Terry, Paul(R) Belk 7
Thibault, James(R) Merr 25
Thomas, Douglas(R) Rock 16
Tremblay, Marc(R) Coos 5
Tripp, Richard(R) Rock 13
Tudor, Paul(R) Rock 1
Ulery, Jordan(R) Hills 13
Vallone, Mark(D) Rock 5
Vose, Michael(R) Rockingham 5
Walker, David(R) Straf 19
Walsh, Lilli(R) Rock 15
Walsh, Thomas(R) Merr 10
Warden, Mark(R) Hills 39
Wherry, Robert(R) Hills 13
Wilson, Vicki(R) Rock 9
Wood, Clayton(R) Merr 13

No — 151

Almy, Susan(D) Graf 17
Ames, Dick(D) Ches 13
Balboni, Peggy(D) Rock 38
Baldwin, Heather(D) Graf 4
Bay, Luz(D) Straf 21
Beauchemin, Paige(D) Hills 3
Berch, Paul(D) Ches 6
Bergeron, Dan(D) Hills 16
Bixby, Peter(D) Straf 13
Bolton, Bill(D) Graf 8
Boyd, Bill(R) Hills 12
Bricchi, Tracy(D) Merr 15
Budathoki, Suraj(D) Hillsborough 40
Burroughs, Anita(D) Carr 2
Burton, Wayne(D) Straf 10
Butler, Billie(D) Straf 12
Cahill, Michael(D) Rock 10
Caplan, Tony(D) Merr 8
Chourasia, Manoj(D) Hills 11
Chretien, Suzanne(D) Hills 19
Cloutier, John(D) Sull 6
Colby, Eleana(D) Merr 9
Cormen, Thomas(D) Graf 15
Cornell, Patricia(D) Hills 22
Damon, Hope(D) Sull 8
Darby, Will(D) Hills 11
Dargie, Paul(D) Hills 43
Davis, Fred(D) Hills 3
DiSilvestro, Linda(D) Hills 17
Dolan, William(D) Hills 9
Edgar, Michael(D) Rock 29
Elberger, Susan(D) Hills 5
Faulkner, Barry(D) Ches 10
Fellows, Sallie(D) Graf 8
Foss, Lily(D) Hills 41
Fox, Dru(D) Ches 2
Foxx, Loren(D) Hills 2
Fracht, David(D) Graf 16
Gallager, Eric(D) Merr 20
Georges, Mary(D) Hills 23
Germana, Nicholas(D) Ches 15
Gilman, Julie(D) Rock 11
Gilmore, Gary(D) Straf 16
Girard, Dale(R) Sull 6
Grill, Jessica(D) Hills 18
Grote, Jaci(D) Rockingham 24
Gruber, James(D) Ches 16
Grund, Stephanie(D) Hills 34
Hakken-Phillips, Mary(D) Graf 12
Hall, Muriel(D) Merr 9
Harriott-Gathright, Linda(D) Hills 10
Hartnett, Tim(D) Hillsborough 41
Harvey, Cathryn(D) Ches 6
Haskins, Linda(D) Rockingham 11
Herbert, Christopher(D) Hills 24
Hicks, Matthew(D) Merr 24
Horrigan, Timothy(D) Straf 10
Howard, Heath(D) Straf 4
Howard, Molly(D) Hills 31
Howland, Allan(D) Straf 20
Jack, Martin(D) Hills 10
Jacobs, Samantha(D) Ches 15
Jeudy, Jean(D) Hills 23
Johnson, Erik(D) Straf 11
Jones, Philip(D) Ches 3
Juris, Louis(D) Hills 7
Kelly, Eileen(D) Merr 8
Kerwin, Erin(D) Hills 40
Knab, Allison(D) Rock 12
LaMontagne, Jessica(D) Straf 17
Lane, Connie(D) Merr 16
Larochelle, John(D) Straf 19
LeClerc, Daniel(D) Hills 34
Leapley, Nicole(D) Hills 22
Leishman, Peter(D) Hills 33
Levesque, Cassandra(D) Straf 4
Lloyd, Christal(D) Hills 8
Long, Patrick(D) Hills 26
Lucas, Janet(D) Graf 7
Luneau, David(D) Merr 9
MacKenzie, Mark(D) Hills 40
Maggiore, Jim(D) Rock 23
Malloy, Dennis(D) Rock 24
Manohar, Sanjeev(D) Hills 9
Manos, Zoe(D) Rock 12
McGhee, Kat(D) Hills 35
Meuse, David(D) Rock 37
Miller, Seth(D) Straf 21
Muns, Chris(D) Rock 29
Murphy, Nancy(D) Hills 12
Murray, Alissandra(D) Hills 20
Murray, Kate(D) Rockingham 22
Murray, Megan(D) Hills 37
Newell, Jodi(D) Ches 4
Newman, Ray(D) Hills 4
Newman, Sue(D) Hills 4
Newsom, James(D) Merr 9
O'Rorke, Terri(D) Ches 7
Oppel, Thomas(D) Grafton 9
Paige, David(D) Carr 1
Paige, Mark(D) Rock 11
Palmer, William(D) Sull 2
Parshall, Lucius(D) Ches 8
Pearson, Wayne(D) Straf 12
Petrigno, Peter(D) Hills 43
Plamondon, Marc(D) Hills 3
Preece, David(D) Hills 17
Raymond, Heather(D) Hills 5
Read, Ellen(D) Rock 10
Richards, Beth(D) Merr 17
Rockmore, Ellen(D) Graf 12
Rombeau, Catherine(D) Hills 2
Rung, Rosemarie(D) Hills 12
Salvi, Santosh(D) Hills 9
Schamberg, Thomas(D) Merr 6
Scherr, Buzz(D) Rock 26
Schmidt, Peter(D) Straf 14
Schultz, Kris(D) Merr 29
Seibert, Christine(D) Hills 21
Selig, Loren(D) Straf 10
Simpson, Alexis(D) Rock 33
Smith, Marjorie(D) Straf 10
Snodgrass, Jim(D) Merr 28
Sofikitis, Catherine(D) Hills 7
Sorensen, Carrie(D) Rock 28
Soucy, Timothy(D) Merr 21
Southworth, Thomas(D) Straf 11
Spahr, Terry(D) Graf 12
Spier, Carry(D) Hills 6
Staub, Kathy(D) Hills 25
Stavis, Laurel(D) Graf 13
Stringham, Jerry(D) Graf 3
Sullivan, Brian(D) Sull 1
Sullivan, Jared(D) Graf 2
Swanson, Dale(D) Hills 5
Sykes, George(D) Graf 14
Telerski, Laura(D) Hills 11
Tellez, Trinidad(D) Hills 40
Thomas, Wendy(D) Hills 12
Turer, Eric(D) Rock 6
Vail, Suzanne(D) Hillsborough 6
Veilleux, Daniel(D) Hills 34
Wade, Alice(D) Straf 15
Wall, Janet(D) Straf 11
Wallner, Mary Jane(D) Merr 19
Ward, Gerald(D) Rock 27
Weber, Lucy(D) Ches 5
Weinstein, Toni(D) Rock 10
Wilhelm, Matthew(D) Hills 21
Woodcock, Stephen(D) Carr 1
Woods, Gary(D) Merr 30

Presiding — 1

Smith, Steven(R) Sull 3

Excused — 45

Andrus, Louise(R) Merr 5
Ball, Lorie(R) Rock 25
Booras, Efstathia(D) Hills 8
Bordes, Mike(R) Belk 5
Buco, Thomas(D) Carr 1
Coker, Matthew(R) Belk 2
DeVito, Sayra(R) Rock 8
Drew, Matt(R) Hills 19
Dupont, Pierre(R) Hills 20
England, Myles(D) Straf 12
Fedolfi, Jim(R) Hills 30
Franz, Linda(R) Graf 6
Gibbs, Merryl(D) Merr 23
Gregg, Alicia(D) Hills 7
Grossman, Gaby(D) Rock 11
Hegner, Karen(D) Hills 41
Kluger, Lee Ann(D) Hills 6
Lovett, Peter(D) Graf 8
Lundgren, David(R) Rock 16
Mannion, Tim(R) Hills 1
McAleer, Chris(D) Carr 2
Minor, Sheri(R) Belk 5
Moffett, Michael(R) Merr 4
Morency, Pete(R) Coos 5
Muirhead, Russell(D) Graf 12
Murphy, Michael(R) Coos 6
Nagel, David(D) Belk 6
Nelson, Jodi(R) Rock 13
Packard, Sherman(R) Rock 16
Paquette, Kathleen(R) Hills 25
Payeur, Stephanie(D) Merr 8
Peternel, Katy(R) Carr 6
Rice, Kimberly(R) Hills 38
Roy, Terry(R) Rock 31
Ryan, Linda(D) Hills 4
Spillane, James(R) Rock 2
St. Clair, Charlie(D) Belknap 5
Suiter, John(R) Hills 36
Tenczar, Jeffrey(R) Hills 1
Thackston, Dick(R) Ches 12
Tierney, James(R) Coos 1
Toner, Travis(R) Belk 4
Turcotte, Len(R) Straf 4
Varney, Peter(R) Belk 7
Verville, Kevin(R) Rock 2

Absent — 19

Ankarberg, Aidan(I) Straf 7
Dumais, Russell(R) Belk 6
Ebel, Karen(D) Merr 7
Guthrie, Joseph(R) Rock 15
Harvey-Bolia, Juliet(R) Belk 3
MacKay, James(D) Merr 18
Malone, Amy(D) Straf 9
Morse, Bryan(R) Merr 3
Raynolds, Ned(D) Rock 39
Roesener, James(D) Merr 22
Sargent, Gregory(D) Merr 7
Smith, Geoffrey(D) Straf 21
Stone, John(D) Straf 12
Summers, James(R) Rock 20
Trottier, Douglas(R) Belk 8
Vandecasteele, Susan(R) Rock 25
Weyler, Kenneth(R) Rock 14
Wheeler, Jonah(D) Hills 33
de Vries, Erica(D) Rock 29

Committee reports

Reproduced from the House Calendar in the committee’s own words.

Majority — INEXPEDIENT TO LEGISLATE

Rep. Diane Pauer

The bill amends RSA 32:5-b, I-a and I-b(a) to require that any new annual debt service approved by voters as part of a bond vote at an annual or special meeting be added to the tax base once repayment begins. It further revises the statutory tax-cap formula so that the previous year’s base is first increased by the amount of the new debt service before applying inflation and population or enrollment adjustments. The bill also applies this change automatically to all existing tax caps without any local re-adoption. Under current law, RSA 32:5-b provides that when a municipality or school district has adopted a local tax cap, the tax cap is the previous year’s tax base, adjusted by inflation and changes in population or school attendance. The proposed tax effort by the governing body and budget committee, if one exists, must not be higher than the tax cap, which includes the tax effort of any proposed bonds or leases. This bill changes that structure by amending RSA 32:5-b, providing for a tax cap exemption for proposed bonds or leases, so that they may be placed on the warrant and recommended, and not counted in the tax effort required to be compliant with the tax cap. The majority of the committee does not agree with this change. In the majority’s view, this bill materially weakens the effect of a local tax cap by permanently expanding the capped base whenever new debt is issued. While framed as a technical adjustment, the practical effect is to create a mechanism that allows the tax cap to be routinely skirted through increased borrowing, even though voters adopted local tax caps specifically to restrain the long-term growth of property taxes. In addition, the majority believes this approach undermines the intended effect of the tax cap, which voters adopt as a firm limit on future tax effort, with only narrow and transparent adjustments as provided by statute. Automatically embedding new debt service into the base, after it was passed by being exempted from the tax cap, changes the nature of the cap and further diminishes the purpose for which communities adopted it. For these reasons, the majority finds that the bill alters current law in a way that erodes taxpayer protections, weakens the integrity of local tax caps, and, therefore, should be found Inexpedient to Legislate. Vote 11-7.

Minority — OUGHT TO PASS

Rep. Jim Maggiore

This bill changes the calculation of the local tax cap to require that the amount of any new annual debt service approved by the legislative body as part of a bond vote shall only be included against the tax cap calculation once repayment begins. The minority of the committee believes three issues are in play that warrant passage of this bill: legislation passed in 2025 regarding accumulation of budgeted items against a tax cap was silent to repayments of bonded projects, interest rates for bonded projects are set after the warrant article is approved, and the first payment of bond service typically interest only. The minority of the committee believes it is sound fiscal policy to calculate the total repayment obligation, principal and interest, only after repayment begins, typically one to two years after the bond is approved. For these reasons, the minority opposes Inexpedient to Legislate.

Hearings and recordings

Recordings are the General Court’s own, on YouTube. Start times are estimates unless stated otherwise, and the player opens early.

January 16, 2026 at 09:45Municipal and County Government public hearing recording 2:09:18–2:17:00, about 8 min (estimated)
January 16, 2026 at 09:45Municipal and County Government executive session recording (start time not identified)
March 5, 2026House floor debate floor recording

Page generated 2026-09-03 from data published by the New Hampshire General Court. Granite Record is an independent project, not affiliated with the General Court. The official record always takes precedence. Corrections: [email protected]