THE GRANITE EAGLE

A new Granite State Poll, a States of Opinion Project, conducted by the University of New Hampshire Survey Center poll shows that a majority of Granite Staters support capping annual school budget increases to the rate of inflation—a central provision of HB 675, the Property Tax Relief Act, which cleared the House Finance Committee last month.

New Hampshire’s property tax system places most authority not in Concord, but in the hands of local voters and the people they elect. While state policy shapes the structure of the system, roughly 85% of every property tax bill is determined at the local level through school budgets, municipal appropriations, and capital decisions. Local choice—not state mandates—is overwhelmingly what causes property taxes to rise.

Property tax bills in New Hampshire are made up of four major components: local school, municipal (town), county, and the Statewide Education Property Tax (SWEPT).

Property taxes in New Hampshire are often debated but widely misunderstood. With no broad-based income or sales tax, the state leans heavily on local property taxes to fund schools, town services, and county obligations.

House Republicans passed legislation last month to rein in education budget growth and give relief to property taxpayers.