CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT COMMITTEE

State law RSA 674:5 authorizes municipalities who have adopted a master plan to establish a capital improvement program (known by the acronym CIP). The CIP is an outline of anticipated expenditures for proposed capital improvement projects projected over a period of at least 6 years. The Town of Campton uses a ten-year planning horizon for its capital improvement program.

Members of the CIP Committee:

  • Karl Kelly, Ex-Officio
  • David Plummer
  • Laura Chapman
  • Bill Frye
  • Jim Butler
  • Jack Letvinchuk
  • __________, PB Ex-Officio (Not yet appointed)

CIP Documents/Notices

CIP Handbook

Matrix

 

The CIP meets at the Town Office on the second Wednesday of each month. Please contact Kate O’Connor, Town Administrator to be placed on the agenda at 603-726-3223 ext. 101 or via email at TownAdministrator@camptonnh.gov

 

The CIP is a valuable tool in both the planning and budgetary preparation processes of a municipality. Creating a schedule of capital improvements in advance enables a city or town to allocate tax dollars more effectively by prioritizing projects according to their urgency, and anticipating their fiscal impact. Additionally, it has a stabilizing impact on tax rates by budgeting capital outlays.

An effective CIP helps to avoid undue tax increases at the local level. By planning ahead, the community can spread the burden of new capital expenditures over time. A surprise hike in taxes due to large capital expenditures can be avoided. A well-thought-out capital improvement project might be more attractive to a potential grant-funding source.

The Town of Campton adopted a CIP at the 2016 Town Meeting when voters authorized the Select Board to “…to appoint a capital improvement program committee to prepare and amend a recommended program of municipal capital improvement projects for a period of at least 6 years in accordance with RSA 674:5 through RSA 674:9”.

Currently, the Town of Campton defines a capital improvement as having a capital expenditure of ten thousand dollars ($10,000) or more and useful life of at least ten years. Examples of capital improvement projects include:

  • Land or Building Acquisition
  • Land Improvements
  • Major Building Renovations or Repairs
  • Road Construction or Improvements
  • Equipment Purchase
  • Major Equipment Repairs
  • Major Vehicle Purchase
  • Major Vehicle Repairs

Capital improvements are paid for out of the capital reserve funds created by the Town for a specific purpose. The individual reserve funds generally correspond to a specific function of a town department or specific capital improvement or equipment purchase. Warrant articles are voted on at the annual Town meeting to authorize raising money to replenish funds for specific capital reserves. The Capital Improvements Committee has set a minimum amount of $150,000.00 raised annually to replenish the capital reserve funds which effectively prevents large variances in the tax rate due to the cost of capital improvements.