Not that anybody had any doubts, but the financial toll that COVID-19 will exact on local and country governments was made clear Friday at a legislative hearing.
When 125 towns answered a New Hampshire Municipal Association survey about effects, officials told the legislative committee overseeing the Governor’s Office for Emergency Relief and Recovery, these are among the concerns that came up:
Unbudgeted costs are piling up, including more than $12 million extra for police, fire and ambulance services, an unguessable increase in welfare costs, as well some interest cost when communities have to take out “tax anticipation notes” – short-term loans – because people aren’t going to paying their property tax on time.
But “potential loss of revenues is as concerning, if not more concerning in the long term,” NHMA officials said.
Motor vehicle registration fees, typically the second largest general fund source for towns, was falling for one-quarter of the communities in the survey, with a $23 million shortfall anticipated. Delinquent utility payments are also an issue for communities that own the local water or system, while 60% said they were seeing “shortfalls” in other fees such as building permits, beach licenses and recreation programs fees.
The effect on property taxes, which for most communities will be due July 1, is still uncertain but is likely to be large.
Many towns and cities reported layoffs, furloughing, cutting public services, drawing down of reserves.
Auburn Town Administrator Bill Herman told the panel that the town has lost 4 employees due to COVID-19, which is 10% of their municipal workforce. None of them were work related exposure.
As for counties, David Ross, administrator from Hillsborough County nursing homes, told the panel about manpower concerns partly because of extra time taken for screening and telemedicine, which is proving a burden, and that the county has “10 to 20 employees out per week due to COVID symptoms.”
And then there is protective supplies, which can only be bought on the open market “in direct competition with each other, FEMA, and everybody else.” He said prices have risen 300% to 500%, and minimum orders have increased.
In Hillsborough County, the nursing homes need 60,000 gowns in a month, partly because once a person tests positive everybody else must wear full protection all the time.
The county has requested 10,000 gowns but has received just 100 “because there just aren’t available,” he said.
The state identified 78 additional cases of COVID-19, one of the highest single-day increases so far. In total, New Hampshire has confirmed 1,287 cases of the disease, with 37 deaths. At least 190 have been hospitalized.
Friday is pizza day at most school cafeterias. Even though school is closed down, staff at John Stark Regional High School wanted to give students a cheesy surprise.
Principal Gary Dempsey sent an email to families offering a free pizza to anyone who wanted to drive up to the school.
“We decided that although they can’t be at school, we can hand out the pizzas to the kids and they can enjoy them in their houses,” Dempsey said.
Staff lined up – a safe distance from each other – with signs and waved as students picked up their pizzas.
“This is kind of a uncharted territory,” Dempsey said. “We miss the kids but we also have to stay safe and everyone has to be healthy. So we decided to do something a little bit different.”
Red River Theatres on Main Street in Concord has created what it’s calling a Virtual Cinema, letting people see independent movies that the theater would typically be showing.
The “ticket” fees vary but most are $12, which gives them a unique link to see the film online. A portion of the fee goes to support Red River.
The theater closed on March 17 due to the closure of all non-essential businesses.
A list of titles is available at www.redrivertheatres.org
All criminal and civil jury trials in New Hampshire Superior Courts have been canceled until further notice because of concern about spreading COVID-19 and will be rescheduled at some unspecified date.
“It is the intent to begin rescheduling jury trials once we resume to normal operations,” according to a statement from Tammy Jackson in the court systems communications office. “Therefore, there will be no jury trials held for approximately 30 days after we resume normal operations.”
Plaintiffs or defendants will receive notice of new trial dates while prospective jurors should check the New Hampshire Judicial Branch website for any updates prior to reporting.
