Town moderator Peter Imse uses a radio to communicate with an overflow crowd in 2015.
Town moderator Peter Imse uses a radio to communicate with an overflow crowd in 2015. Credit: ELIZABETH FRANTZ

After Bow settled a tax dispute with a public utility over the assessed property value of Merrimack Station power station, this year the town’s operating budget is down 5.2%.

Budget: The proposed operating budget for the town is $11.4 million, down from the previous year’s $12 million. If approved, the town-portion tax rate will be $6.57, a 36-cent decrease, which is $108 less annually on a $300,000 home.

Noteworthy articles: Residents will be asked to vote on leasing four town-owned parcels for a solar project that could be the largest in the state. If approved, the six-mega-watt project could be nearly twice the capacity of Manchester’s municipal solar array, helping the town offset the costs of powering its municipal buildings.

Adding $500,000 to the community building fund for the repair or construction of the building on Bow Center Road is also on the ballot.

Contested races: Incumbent Matthew Poulin, Ian Flanagan, Kip McDaniel, and Brock Ehlers are running for two positions on the select board.

When and where: The town meeting will be held at 6:30 p.m. on March 13 at the Bow High School.

Gopalakrishnan reports on mental health, casinos and solid waste, as well as the towns of Bow, Hopkinton and Dunbarton. She can be reached at sgopalakrishnan@cmonitor.com