Statement issued after it was tabled uses bogus tax rate to deceive taxpayers about the tax hike
Burkush the budget buster
MANCHESTER, NH May 21, 2026–Following the refusal of Manchester’s five Republican aldermen to support their staggering increases in property taxes and city spending, Manchester’s nine Democratic aldermen issued a statement expressing their “deep disappointment that the proposed budget did not receive the support necessary for passage.”
Despite having a super majority on the Board of Aldermen, the Democrats are one vote short of the ten votes needed to override the city’s popular Tax Cap, which limits the increase in property taxes from year to year. For Fiscal Year (FY) ’27, the Cap allows property taxes to increase by $8.1 million, which is three percent of the nearly $270 million raised in FY ’26. The Cap allows increases based on the three year average of inflation.
Proposed by aldermen June Trisciani (D-at-Large) and Jim Burkush (D-Ward 9), the now tabled budget raised property taxes by nearly $22.1 million, almost triple what’s allowed by the cap.
The statement issued by the Democratic aldermen, restated claims made by Trisciani and Burkush in an email to the board after hours on Friday, May 15, that their proposal “came in approximately $2.9 million under the expense cap and included a targeted revenue cap override.” It also projected a $15.84 tax rate, which is significantly lower than the current $20.24, despite the 8.2% increase in property taxes.
Girard: Did the math. Read the charter
Both assertions were challenged during the public comment segment of the board’s May 15 meeting by Rich Girard, who served as chief of staff and budget director for Mayor Raymond J. Wieczorek, an alderman at-Large, charter commissioner, and at-Large member of the Board of School Committee, including four years on its Finance Committee, two as its chairman. (Note: Girard is publisher of this site and author of this article.)
Girard asserted the “lower” tax rate was deceiving because, instead of calculating it using the current tax base, which Mayor Jay Ruais did in presenting his budget in March, the Democrats used a projected tax base swollen by the projected increase in the tax base caused by the ongoing revaluation. By dividing the amount of property taxes collected in FY ’26 by the projected FY ’27 tax base, which equalizes the rates so they can be compared, the current $20.24 tax rate drops to $14.20. That’s $1.64 lower than the Democrat’s $15.84, meaning their budget increases taxes by 11.6%.
Pointing out that the Tax Cap limits spending increases to the allowed increase in property taxes plus or minus any increases or decreases in non-property tax revenues, Girard also questioned how the Democrats’ budget could come in $2.9 million under the expenditure cap. If followed, Girard said, “the $12 million loss in non-property tax revenue would have to be subtracted from the $8 million increase allowed in property taxes. That being a negative $4 million, spending would have to be cut by $4 million to comply with the charter.” The Trisciani-Burkush budget raises spending by $14 million, $18 million more than allowed by the Tax Cap.
Terrio: Pushed back
The statement from the Democrats said they “respect the intent of the tax cap and recognize that it’s allowable growth is designed to help municipalities keep pace with inflation and rising costs.” They then went on to complain that the last two budgets, which were the result of negotiations between Democrats and Ruais, were “significantly below the allowable cap.” This, they claimed, necessitates their massive increase in taxes and spending, arguing they developed “a budget that balanced fiscal responsibility with the real needs of our community.”
The statement admitted that the Democrats reversed all spending reductions proposed by Ruais to remain compliant with the Tax Cap, added an undisclosed amount of money to settle contract negotiations with the police unions, on top of an undisclosed increase in funding for that purpose proposed in Ruais’ budget, added money to fund shortfalls in health and other insurances, and the overlay account, and gave $4 million more to the school district.
The statement echoes criticism of the Republican aldermen made by Trisciani during Tuesday’s meeting, where she accused them of not offering any solutions, saying “we have received no additional options.” “Where’s your budget?” she asked at one point on Tuesday night.
Vincent: Looking for adults
Those claims were challenged by Ruais, who said suggestions he made were rejected because it would cause an alderman, presumably a Democrat, to not vote for it. Alderman Ross Terrio (R-Ward 7) also pushed back against Trisciani, saying he told her and other Democrats that he wanted to see less spent on “general government” and focus only on those things that had to be funded, including the police contracts. The clear inference from Ruais and Terrio was that Democrats rejected anything that lowered spending or taxes below what was proposed.
Alderman Norm Vincent (R-Ward 11) chastised Democrats who tried to push the budget through Tuesday night by accusing anybody who didn’t vote for the budget of not supporting Manchester’s police. Several Democratic Aldermen, including Trisciani, Burkush, Dan O’Neil (D-at-Large), Jason Bonilla (D-Ward 5) and board chair Bill Barry (D-Ward 10), claimed that the police contracts could not be settled without an override and that a failure to override was a failure to support police. “You can’t back the blue if you don’t break the ceiling,” stated Bonilla.
Bonilla: Breaking things.
Vincent defended the dissenting aldermen, stating that everybody around the table supported Manchester’s police and that the voting against overriding the Tax Cap didn’t change that. “We just received this budget on Friday night,” he said, noting that there was insufficient time to really dig into the numbers and understand the changes. “It’s perfectly reasonable that anybody would vote against an override tonight,” because there was so little time to review the document. He called on everybody to conduct themselves as “adults” and to stop the accusations.
The lack of notice was an issue for members of the public as well. Ward 2 resident Austin Bouchard faulted the board for keeping the proposed budget out of public view. “I’m here to speak tonight on the aldermanic budget if that’s the proper word for something forward with so little public notice and so little respect for the people who will be forced to pay it. From behind a veil of secrecy this budget steps into view a historic tax increase aimed at taxpayers in a revaluation year when confusion already done the work of concealment. It arrives without th warning it deserves, without the scrutiny it demands and without the reforms that should have been required before one more dollar was even requested. That is not transparency. that is not courage. that is government that’s forgotten to whom it answers…A tax increase of this size should see the light of day, remain there long enough for the public to understand it, and be defended openly before one more dollar is taken from Manchester taxpayers.”
Bouchard: Budget needs sunlight
Alderman Bryce Kaw-uh (D-Ward 1) tried to shield Trisciani and Burkush from criticism, saying that several aldermen had input and that while he didn’t like it, he actually wanted more spending, he saw it as a compromise that nobody would like. Kaw-uh also said that he did not provide any input into the document.
The Democratic aldermen who supported this budget are: Kaw-Uh, Dan Goonan (Ward 2), Dana Dexter (Ward 3), Christine Fajardo (Ward 4), Bonilla, Burkush, Barry, Trisciani and O’Neil.
The Republican aldermen who opposed this budget are: Crissy Kantor (Ward 6), Terrio, Ed Sapienza (Ward 8), Vincent and Kelly Thomas (Ward 12). At one point during the debate, Sapienza unveiled a rubber duck and said “if it walks like a tax cap override and sounds like a tax cap override, it’s a tax cap override,” criticizing the Democrat attempt to call it something else.
Sapienza: Brought a rubber duck
Ruais, who claims to be a Republican but ran for reelection as a “bi-partisan” mayor, did not indicate whether he supported or opposed the proposal. When the five Republican aldermen voted against a measure that would have amended his budget to allocate newly realized surplus finds, a move that seemed to surprise and irritate the Democratic aldermen, he said it was a “messaging vote” that told the board there wasn’t ten votes to override the Tax Cap. He said he was willing to discuss the budget with any alderman to try and come up with something that could get enough votes, which indicates he’s inclined to see the Cap overridden.
Chebook: Will the mayor honor his commitment?
Numerous members of the public directly called upon Ruais to honor the promises he made to voters and veto any override of the tax cap. Among them was Rob Chebook of Ward 4, who recounted meeting Ruais at a neighborhood gathering where, among other things, he pledged never to override the tax cap. “I left there feeling good about you,” Chebook said to the mayor. “I went out and convinced a lot of people to vote for you because I was convinced you were an honest and honorable man so, you know, we’ll see what happens with this budget.”
The board is expected to take up the budget at its meeting on June 2, 2026.
