Rep. Terry Spilsbury

Maddy summaryThis bill allows cooperative school districts in New Hampshire to create budget committees with specific membership rules. The committees will consist of the same number of members as the district's school board, plus one additional member appointed from that board. While most members are appointed by the district moderator, the school board chairperson appoints one member to serve in a non-voting, ex-officio capacity. All committee records must be kept as public documents available for inspection, and the changes take effect on July 1, 2024.

Maddy summaryThis bill proposes to expand the authority of budget committees in cooperative school districts, giving them similar powers to municipal budget committees regarding school funding. Under the new rules, these committees would review and evaluate all proposed spending plans, including any requests to use capital reserves, before the town meeting can consider them. Additionally, no spending proposals would appear on the official ballot unless the committee approves them, and the committee's vote on each item would be printed alongside the ballot for voters to see. The legislation aims to ensure that cooperative school district budgets undergo a formal review process before being presented to the public for a vote.

Maddy summaryHB 1383 updates the rules for how members of cooperative school boards are selected in New Hampshire. The bill requires these boards to choose one of five specific methods for electing members, such as dividing the district into equal population areas, ensuring proportional representation, or having members represent their original local districts. It also sets a maximum term limit of three years for board members and mandates the use of an official non-partisan ballot system for these elections. This legislation directly affects cooperative school districts by standardizing their election processes and limiting how long individual board members can serve.

Maddy summaryThis bill changes how vacancies are filled for school board seats that are elected at large in cooperative school districts. It requires that any person appointed to fill such a vacancy must live in the same town as the member who left the seat. The law also outlines a specific order for filling these gaps, starting with existing board members from the same town, then moving to local selectmen, and finally the district moderator if no agreement can be reached. These appointed individuals serve only until the next district election, at which point voters will choose a new representative for the full term.

Maddy summaryThis bill would require municipalities to send any excess money collected from the statewide education property tax to the state's education trust fund instead of keeping it locally. It also prohibits the state revenue commissioner from setting negative tax rates on real property to offset other taxes. These changes aim to ensure that surplus education funds are directed toward the state education trust while preventing specific tax rate adjustments. Although the bill was introduced, it was laid on the table and did not become law during the 2024 legislative session.

Maddy summaryThis bill increases the safe harbor compensation limit for the New Hampshire Business Profits Tax from $75,000 to $100,000. It allows business owners to automatically deduct up to this amount for their own compensation without needing to prove the value of their services, simplifying tax filing for many small businesses. Starting in 2025, the threshold will be automatically adjusted every two years based on changes in the Consumer Price Index to account for inflation. The law applies to tax years ending on or after December 31, 2024, and takes effect 60 days after passing.

Maddy summaryThis bill restricts how many local government roles a single person can hold at the same time to prevent conflicts of interest and excessive power. It specifically bars individuals from holding multiple elected or appointed offices simultaneously, such as serving as both a selectman and a full-time town employee, or holding more than two municipal board memberships. The law also prohibits officials who manage town funds from acting as auditors and prevents employees from serving on committees that oversee their own work areas. These rules apply to all towns and municipalities, ensuring that no one can hold incompatible positions while still allowing them to share information and provide clerical help between offices.

Maddy summaryThis bill allows towns in New Hampshire to choose whether their conservation commission members are appointed by local officials or elected by voters. Under the new rules, a town meeting can vote to switch between these two methods, giving communities direct control over how their conservation leaders are selected. If a town opts for elections, members serve staggered three-year terms, and the town can later vote to return to the appointment system if desired. The legislation also clarifies that commission members must live in the town they represent and may serve on other municipal boards.