InDepthNH.org (https://indepthnh.org/author/david-preece/)
Two recent documents—one from the New Hampshire Office of the Legislative Budget Assistant and another from the office of Kelly Ayotte—reveal a pattern that raises serious questions about how the state is actually funding its operations.
New Hampshire’s tax system has always reflected a core Granite State value: independence. We make our own choices, we adapt when needed, and we don’t lock ourselves into rigid rules that limit our future.
By Rep. David Preece, D-Manchester
New Hampshire’s latest financial report tells two very different stories. On paper, the State of New Hampshire received a clean audit for Fiscal Year 2025. Everything is accounted for. The numbers add up. The books are “accurate.”
But accuracy is not the same as stability.
Democracy in America is rarely destroyed in one dramatic stroke. It is weakened quietly—through procedural changes, administrative barriers, data grabs, and the slow normalization of exclusion.
Executive Councilor Karen Liot Hill is doing exactly what we should want from our public officials: leading with integrity, transparency, and respect for the people she serves.