Article 7:
Vehicle Fund Warrant Article ($20,000)
Warrant Article Language
Shall the Souhegan Cooperative School District raise and appropriate the sum of up to twenty thousand dollars ($20,000) to be added to the Vehicle Expendable Trust Fund previously established in March 2024? This sum to come from the June 30, 2026 unassigned fund balance (surplus) available for transfer on July 1, 2026. No amount to be raised from new taxation. Majority vote required.
Recommended by the Souhegan Cooperative School Board (7-0)
Recommended by the Souhegan Cooperative School District Advisory Finance Committee (7-0)
Estimated tax impact of passing this article is $0.00 per thousand for Amherst and $0.00 per thousand for Mont Vernon.
Estimated tax impact of not passing this article is -$0.01 per thousand for Amherst and -$0.01 per thousand for Mont Vernon.
BOARD EXPLANATION
This fund supports essential vehicle use needs to maintain facilities and reduce reliance (and cost for) on third party transportation services by acquiring and maintaining an in-house fleet. We regularly evaluate existing vehicle resources to forecast end of useful life replacement or schedule of major repairs.
Vehicle Fund supports long term savings for replacing and repairing (major) existing or purchasing new vehicles, including the following current fleet:
Student Services
2021 Minivan (replace 2035)
2022 10 Passenger van (replace 2039)
Athletics
2022 10 passenger Van (replace 2036)
2024 10 Passenger Van (replace 2042)
Facilities
2014 Tractor (replace 2030)
2022 Truck (replace 2037)
2023 Gator (replace 2034)
SOUHEGAN ADVISORY FINANCE COMMITTEE COMMENTS
We unanimously voted to support (7 to 0) Articles 4 – 7 for the following reasons:
1) These articles meet the recommendations that have historically been made by the SAFC that the administration and Board create long term plans to meet the needs for upkeep and maintenance of the facilities as well as to start a fund to replace aging technology and expand our internal transportation system in order to save transportation costs and
2) The board has chosen to fund these items with the unassigned fund balance so as not to burden the taxpayers further.
The additional warrant articles are as follows:
Article 4 – School Maintenance Fund (Capital Reserve Fund) – $325,000 requested
Article 5 – Recreation Revolving Fund (previously known as the Turf Field Replacement Fund) – $100,000 requested to both continue to fund the turf field replacement as well as additional sports and recreation needs that may occur in the future
Article 6 – Technology Fund – $50,000 requested
Article 7 – Vehicle Fund (small vans for transporting students) – $20,000 requested to fund planned savings to replace, fund major repairs, and purchase new vehicles as needed
VOICE OF THE VOTER
This section provides voters and residents an opportunity to voice their opinions on the warrant articles. If you have an opinion you want to share please use the form below.