Concord Forward
Lower taxes. More opportunity.
A stronger economy for all.
A 10-Year Blueprint for an Inclusive, Thriving, Beautiful Concord
Lower Taxes. Smarter Growth. Shared Opportunity.
By: Fiston Ndayishimiye, Candidate for Concord City Council (At-Large)
Executive Summary
Concord is financially sound, but too dependent on property taxes. FY2025 totals $170.46M across all funds, with an AA+ bond rating affirmed by S&P, a General Fund tax‐rate increase of 3.89%, and rising cost pressures in compensation (+$1.8M), benefits (+$1.5M), utilities (+11%), and debt service (+8%).
Where the city tax dollar goes:
- Fire ~33%, Police ~29%, General Services ~23%, Debt Service ~15%; the city’s “municipal” rate is $9.51 per $1,000 (separate from school/county).
- Where revenue comes from: the General Fund leans on property taxes (~$51–52M) and motor-vehicle registrations (~$7.89M); Rooms & Meals distributions are about $4.14M. (Concord NH)
- The challenge now (2025): taxable value growth under-performed this year (≈ +$34M vs. +$47M expected), forcing cuts, reserves, and a rate bump. This is precisely why we must grow the base, not the rate. (Concord Monitor)
- Our fix: move from “sound” to strong + fair by (1) shifting costs off homeowners, (2) making growth pay for growth, and (3) investing in people, neighborhoods, and youth so every part of Concord rises.
- Five big moves (FY2026-2030)
- 1. Stormwater Utility (Year 1) shift ≈$1.5M/yr from the property-tax base to a user/impact fee grounded in NH law (RSA 149-I) and Concord’s 2020 feasibility study. (NH Revenue Administration)
2. Developer “Fair-Share” Framework:
- Standard, public agreements (impact fees under RSA 674:21, V, negotiated contributions, and TIF releases) that add ≥$1.0M/yr by Year 3 for sidewalks, green space, transit, and drainage. (Justia Law)
- 3. Grow the Base (not the rate)
- Add +$50M AV in 3 years through infill, adaptive reuse, and mixed-use, worth ≈ +$0.49M/yr in city revenue at the budgetary city-portion rate baseline. (Context: TIFs have catalyzed $128.8M new value citywide; NEOCTIF alone ≈ $53.8M.) (Concord, NH)
- 4. Tax Stabilization Fund
- Seed 1-1.5%/yr (≈ $1.2-$1.8M) until balance hits $5M by 2030 to smooth shocks without raising rates.
- 5. Lower Pressure on Residents: targeted credits for low-income seniors/nonprofits; keep the city portion stable by shifting costs to heavy users and large projects, optimizing enterprise funds (FY2025 water +7.75%, wastewater +8% to reflect true cost).
- What this delivers by 2030: a cleaner, safer, more beautiful Concord, lower volatility in the tax bill, fairer contributions from big projects, transparent dashboards everyone can read, and real pathways for youth to learn, work, and lead.
- 1) Today’s Financial Ground Truth (FY2025)
- All Funds: $170,457,336 (adopted). General Fund leverages $561k of fund balance to cap the rate. AA+ rating affirmed; utilities up; wages/benefits rising.
- City tax dollar split: Fire 33%, Police 29%, General Services 23%, Debt 15%. City portion of rate: $9.51 per $1,000.
- Revenues (GF): property taxes ≈ $51–52M; motor-vehicle registrations ≈ $7.89M; Rooms & Meals ≈ $4.14M; transfers-in, licenses/permits, investment income (≈ $2.36M). (Concord, NH)
- Capital (FY2025): $53.55M CIP; bonds authorized up to $44.73M (e.g., Police HQ design $3.4M; sewer projects).
TIFs: NEOCTIF releases ~67% of captured value to the General Fund/schools; SBTIF releases 20%; PVTIF releases 15%.
Context (Oct. 2025): tax base growth lagged; council considered rate increases + reserve use. We must change the math, not just the mill rate. (Concord Monitor)
Plain meaning: Concord is disciplined and credit-strong, but homeowners and small businesses carry too much of the load. We will rebalance, legally, transparently, and fast.
2) Principles of the Redesign
People first: protect long-time residents and small businesses.
User/impact pays: align fees with actual use/impact.
Growth pays for growth: large projects cover fair community costs.
Radical transparency: plain-language dashboards and reports.
Youth at the table: jobs, entrepreneurship, and real voice in decisions.
3) The Tools (what we’ll actually do)
3.1 Stormwater Utility (Year 1 launch)
What & why: a dedicated, legally enabled (RSA 149-I) utility that bases fees on impervious area/runoff so big parking lots and large roofs pay proportionally. Concord’s 2020 Feasibility Study lays the groundwork. Target ≈$1.5M/yr shift off the property tax. (NH Revenue Administration)
Equity: credits for nonprofit campuses, seniors, and low-income homeowners who install green infrastructure. (Feasibility study discusses equitable structures and outreach.) (Concord, NH)
3.2 Developer Fair-Share (impact + contribution)
Impact Fees (standardized): adopt/refresh an ordinance under RSA 674:21, V (transportation, public safety, recreation, public works) with a published nexus study and schedule. (Justia Law)
Negotiated Community Benefits: for >100 units or >$10M projects: sidewalks, shade trees, transit pads/shelters, drainage upgrades, public art/placemaking, and workforce pipelines.
TIF Policy (keep releasing value): continue the ~67% NEOCTIF release and schedule periodic releases in other TIFs as milestones are met, so the General Fund benefits sooner.
Target: ≥$1.0M/yr in developer contributions by Year 3.
3.3 Grow the Base, Not the Rate
Housing & reuse: encourage infill/missing-middle and adaptive reuse; align with NH Workforce Housing law (RSA 674:58–61) to streamline approvals and density where appropriate. (NH Revenue Administration)
Math: every 100 homes @ $250k adds $25M AV ⇒ ≈ $246k/yr in city revenue at the budgetary city-portion baseline (illustrative).
Reality check: with 2025 value growth at ≈$34M, hitting +$50M over three years is ambitious but achievable with focused projects and faster approvals. (Concord Monitor)
Proof: City TIFs have catalyzed $128.8M new value; NEOCTIF ≈ $53.8M alone. (Concord, NH)
3.4 Stabilize & Save
Tax Stabilization Fund: commit 1-1.5% of the budget annually (≈ $1.2-$1.8M) until the balance reaches $5M by 2030, our cushion against health, fuel, or economic shocks.
Enterprise fund discipline: continue aligning water/wastewater to true long-run cost (already in FY2025: +7.75% water, +8% wastewater).
3.5 Transparency
Public dashboard: fees collected, projects funded, assessed-value growth, and who paid, updated quarterly; plain-language annual report before any rate action.
Publish everything: fee schedules, nexus studies, TIF releases, community-benefit contracts, one click from the city homepage.
Budget show-your-work: connect every dollar of new revenue to an outcome (sidewalk segments, trees planted, lanes paved).
3.6 Protection for Residents & Small Businesses
Credits/Hardship: low-income/senior credits for new utilities; hardship policies for nonprofits on mission-critical land.
Rate restraint: keep the city portion stable by moving costs to high-impact users and new growth, not by shifting the burden to fixed-income homeowners.
Legal footing: fees based on use/impact (RSA 149-I) and nexus/proportionality (RSA 674:21, V). (NH Revenue Administration)
4) People + Place Investments (beauty, safety, opportunity)
4.1 Youth Employment & Entrepreneurship
Paid internships and apprenticeships across city departments, nonprofits, trades, and startups; seed a Youth Micro-Grant program (funded by developer contributions + philanthropic matches).
Measured by: placements/year, certifications earned, and % hired into local jobs.
4.2 Safer, Greener Streets
Sidewalks/greenways/trees: allocate a fixed % of developer contributions + stormwater fees to tree canopy, bioswales, and ADA sidewalks on corridors used by kids and seniors.
Traffic safety: tie impact fee revenues to crosswalks, signals, and traffic-calming near schools and transit.
4.3 Public Safety Facilities, planned, affordable
Police HQ (Bouton St.) continues through design with transparent total cost planning; bond timing staged against the Stabilization Fund and new revenue streams. (FY2025 design appropriation: $3.4M.)
Fire apparatus/facility lifecycle: plan engines at ~$1.1-$1.2M each per decade and station life-cycle replacements via CIP, with contributions from impact fees where eligible.
4.4 Neighborhood Opportunity Fund
Pool a share of developer contributions + transportation/stormwater fees to upgrade storefront facades, pocket parks, small-business fit-outs, and energy retrofits in underserved blocks, beauty plus jobs.
5) Taxes & Fairness
Lower pressure on residents: by Year 2, we expect the stormwater shift + early developer contributions to offset part of city-portion pressures that would otherwise land on the property-tax bill.
“Tax the rich developers” (in lawful, effective ways):
- Impact fees with a defensible nexus (roads, public safety, recreation, public works) under RSA 674:21, V; time-certain spending and refund rules honored. (Justia Law)
- TIF releases are timed to share growth with the General Fund sooner (continuing the ~67% NEOCTIF release precedent).
- Negotiated benefits that are public, predictable, and posted online, no back rooms.
- Business clarity: published schedules and calculators so good actors can plan and cut permitting time.
- 5. Phase 1 - Foundation & Fast Wins (FY2026)
- Introduce Stormwater Utility ordinance + credit policy; adopt Impact Fee ordinance updates; publish Developer Contribution Manual; launch public dashboard.
- Targets: book $1.0-$1.5M stormwater shift (half-year ramp if needed); secure $0.5M in executed developer agreements; plant 1,000 street trees.
- Phase 2 - Build & Beautify (FY2027-2028)
- Scale infill/adaptive-reuse approvals aligned with workforce housing law; open the first Youth Business Hub; complete 10 priority sidewalk/greenway segments.
- Targets: +$30M assessed value added; ≥$1.0M/yr developer contributions; stormwater credit take-up in every ward. (NH Revenue Administration)
- Phase 3 - Resilient & Ready (FY2029-2030)
- Stabilization Fund at $5M; debt service within policy; Police HQ financing sequenced without rate shock; continue TIF releases; evaluate transportation utility add-ons only if needed to hold the rate.
Targets: +$50M in new AV (3-yr); maintain AA+; publish five consecutive plain-English finance reports.
7) Governance that gets it done
Finance & Growth Task Force (residents, youth, small biz, developers, staff) drafts schedules, monitors results, reports quarterly.
Audit & Efficiency Committee publicly tracks savings, contract performance, and dashboards.
Youth Council (ages 14-24): co-designs the internship pipeline and neighborhood priorities.
Committee cleanup: merge overlapping climate/energy/resilience bodies into one Sustainability & Infrastructure Resilience Committee for speed and clarity.
Guardrails (law, numbers, and truth)
Enabling law: Stormwater utilities, RSA 149-I (authorizes fees, funds, billing, liens). Impact fees, RSA 674:21, V (scope, timing, refund rules). Workforce housing, RSA 674:58 61 (reasonable opportunities). (NH Revenue Administration)
Current facts: FY2025 totals, tax-rate change, utility rate moves, capital, TIF releases and distributions, all drawn from adopted city documents and current local reporting.
Reality check on growth: 2025’s slow AV growth is a warning; this plan targets base expansion through projects already consistent with city policy and NH law. (Concord Monitor)
What changes for people
Homeowners & renters: fewer surprise hikes from city services because heavy users and big projects pay more of their fair share.
Small businesses: clearer rules, faster permits, and visible upgrades (sidewalks, lighting, trees) that bring customers.
Neighborhoods: cleaner water, less flooding, safer crossings, greener streets.
Youth: paid experience, mentors, micro-grants, real seats at the table.
Developers: predictability (posted schedules, calculators), speed, and pride of building in a city that looks like it loves its people.
Measurable Goals (2026-2030)
Shift $1.5M/yr from property tax via stormwater by end of Year 2 ; sustain annually. (Concord, NH)
≥$1.0M/yr in developer contributions by Year 3
(impact fees + agreements). (Justia Law)
+$50M AV added within 3 years
(infill/reuse/mixed-use), with at least 30% near transit.
$5M Stabilization Fund by 2030 ; maintain AA+ credit.
Ten ward projects/year
(sidewalks, shade, safety) are posted on the dashboard.
300 youth placed in paid internships/apprenticeships by
2030; ≥25 youth-led micro-businesses launched.
Sources
FY2025 Adopted Transmittal Letter
(totals, cost pressures, AA+, utility rate moves, CIP, TIF releases, fund-balance use, distribution of tax dollars, property-tax city portion): City of Concord.
FY2025 Adopted Resolutions
(capital totals; bond authorization): City of Concord.
GF Revenue details
(motor-vehicle ≈ $7.89M; rooms & meals ≈ $4.14M; investment income ≈ $2.36M): City PDFs (GF Revenue, General Government). (Concord, NH )
TIF performance (NEOCTIF release ~67%; citywide new value from TIFs ≈ $128.8M; NEOCTIF ≈ $53.8M): City FY25 docs and TIF page.
Tax-base shortfall news
(Oct. 13-15, 2025): Concord Monitor coverage. (Concord Monitor )
Stormwater Utility authority & feasibility : RSA 149-I; NHDES guidance; Concord Stormwater Utility Feasibility Study (Mar 2020). (NH Revenue Administration )
Impact fees & workforce housing:
- RSA 674:21, V; RSA 674:58–61 and NHMA guidance. (Justia Law )
- A Stronger, Fairer, and More Inclusive Concord
- The purpose of his plan is accountability and fairness. It invites business to build with us, not on us. It welcomes everyone, newcomers and lifelong residents, and it does the hard budget work in daylight, with data you can check for yourself.
- My bottom line is: we lower pressure on residents by growing value, pricing impact fairly, and investing in people and place. We’ll make Concord more beautiful, safer, and full of opportunity, and the growth will be much faster.
Kept from my 2025 campaign site. See the original page ↗