by Sentinel Staff Oct 9, 2026
N.H. Sen. Denise Ricciardi, who is campaigning for reelection, has no lack of proposals for next year’s session of the N.H. Legislature.
Ricciardi, R-Bedford, says many of them have a common theme — reducing the financial strain on property taxpayers.
Matthew McLaughlin, a Bedford Democrat, is opposing Ricciardi in the Nov. 3 general election in Senate District 9, which covers parts of Cheshire and Hillsborough counties.
New Hampshire has some of the highest property taxes in the country. McLaughlin and other Democrats say that this arises in part from Republican cuts to taxes on big business and wealthy investors.
They say that this has caused an even greater financial burden on property taxpayers in a state with no general sales tax or income tax.
Statewide, local property taxes paid to cities, towns, counties, and school districts increased $1.52 billion from 2016 to 2025, rising to $4.73 billion, according to the N.H. Fiscal Policy Institute.
It’s unlikely any one legislative proposal will significantly reduce that overall tax bite, but Ricciardi said she’s determined to do what she can.
Her proposals are in the form of Legislative Service Requests, the precursor to the actual bills lawmakers will consider next year.
Financial measures are likely to be at the heart of the discussion in the next legislative session because the main priority for lawmakers will be drawing up a new, two-year state budget.
Shifting criteria for the award of state grants to school districts will result in many of those districts receiving less money from the state without a legislative fix, Ricciardi said in an interview Thursday.
Her answer is a legislative proposal that would provide $25 million to help districts standing to lose state grant money. She said that without this money, more of the burden for funding school districts could fall on local property taxpayers.
She is also proposing to boost the municipal take of the meals and rooms tax to 40 percent. It now stands at 30 percent.
Ricciardi also has proposals for the state to help fund more local infrastructure projects involving roads, bridges and water systems.
She is also proposing $1 million in funding over two years to help New Hampshire’s regional planning councils provide expert help to towns struggling to update their housing codes to encourage construction of more housing.
According to the NHFPI, local governments in New Hampshire relied on local property taxes for 61 percent of overall revenue, more than local governments in any other state in the country during fiscal year 2022.