2006 Budget & Salary Survey New Hampshire Municipalities of less then 2000 Population Source: Center for Local Government, Concord, NH Of the 234 towns in the state, 191 (82%) participated in the survey. 58 towns under 2000 population participated in the survey. (29 towns between 0 and 999, and 29 towns between 1000 and 1999) Franconia has a population of 1018 but did not participate in the survey. Of the 29 towns with populations under 1000, two (Waterville Valley and Newington) had larger town budgets then Franconia, and 27 had lower budgets. Of 29 towns with populations between 1000 and 1999, two {Lincoln and Woodstock) had larger budgets then Franconia, and 27 had lower budgets. Of 58 towns reporting, only four had larger budgets then Franconia. Public Safety Departments Police 52 of the 58 towns under 2000 population have a lower police department budget then Franconia. 27 of 29 towns under 1000 have a lower police budget. Only 2 have a higher budget. (Newington and Waterville Valley). 25 of 29 towns with a population between 1000 and 1999 have lower police budgets. 4 are higher. (Lincoln, Woodstock, Lisbon, and Dublin) ‘The Franconia Police Department budget in 2006 was $267,672. Staffing Staffing figures include the chief. Franconia has 3 police officers. The average number of flltime police officers in the 58 towns is 1.40, For towns under 1000 population the average number of fulltime police officers is .90. For towns between 1000 and 1999 the average number of fulltime officers is 1.90.2 6 of the 58 towns have more then 3 officers. 3 towns with less then 1000 population (Carroll, Newington, and Waterville Valley), and 3 towns with 1000 or more population, but less the 2000 (Lincoln, Lisbon, Woodstock). 7 of the 58 towns have 3 officers. 45 of the 58 towns have less the 3 officers, Of 58 towns with a population less then 2000,-14 do not have police chiefs. (10 towns with 0 to 999 population, and 4 towns in the 1000 to 1999 range). Of the 44 towns with a police chief position, 19 are fulltime (7 in the 0 to 999 range, and 12 in the 1000 to 1999 range). Note: By statute (RSA 106B) the New Hampshire state police are responsible for policing municipalities with 3000 population or less on a 24/7 basis. In addition, sheriff departments, motor vehicle inspectors, and fish and game officers provide emergency coverage when nearby, as do adjacent communities on mutual aid. Fire Department 47 of the 58 towns under 2000 population have a lower fire department budget then Franconia. 25 of 29 towns under 1000 have a lower fire department budget. (Those higher are Carroll, Jackson, Newington, and Waterville Valley) 22 of 29 towns between 1000 and 1999 have lower fire department budgets. Only 7 are higher. Of the 4 towns under 1000 population with higher FD budgets, 3 towns operate an ambulance within the fire department budget and have one or more fulltime firefighter/EMTs. Of the 7 towns between 1000 and 1999 population with larger FD budgets then Franconia, at least one (Sandwich) operates an ambulance within the fire department budget, and 4 of the remaining 6 towns operate EMS within the fire department budget.fe Franconia does not operate an ambulance or EMS within the fire department budget. Of the 58 towns, only 3 other non EMS fire departments have a higher budget. The Franconia Fire Department budget in 2006 was $71,480 EMS: ‘The survey does not have a separate category for EMS as it appears that most EMS operate within a fire department. Highway Department The survey does have a highway department budget and salary category, however highway budgets are probably affected by the number and type of roads in a community, and that information is not known, therefore a comparison of highway budgets was not done.