Revolting Developments

Tough economic times and rampant government spending are boosting the efforts of taxpayer groups in New Hampshire. But instead of the State House, these groups are concentrating on City and Town Halls across the Granite State. Chris Dornin profiles the trend in the New Hampshire Sunday News:

Republican Mayor Frank Guinta of Manchester tried and failed to get the Democrat-controlled board of aldermen to put a cap before voters this fall.

"There were enough petition signatures, but they voted to do it next November," Guinta said. "A cap would force the city to choose priorities and find cost efficiencies. In a recession, you can't spend what you don't have. A vote of 10 out of the 14 aldermen could still override the cap in case of emergencies."

Naile said officials in Concord and Manchester will come to regret blocking a vote in 2008.

Concord officials filed suit recently to keep the matter from ever coming to a vote. He thinks they will lose.

"They're rightly scared of this," Naile said. "They made a mistake. When it finally goes to vote next November, the economy will be even worse. We'll be whipping up our troops over it."

Mike Biundo chairs the New Hampshire Advantage Coalition and said the taxpayer rights movement is huge and growing.

"In addition to Concord and Manchester, we've been in touch with folks in Londonderry and Merrimack about caps," he said. "Some folks in Andover are interested. The one in Somersworth (this month) only failed by 8 percent. The recession is fueling it. People are looking for tax relief."