In every city, trust in government is built on a simple principle: taxpayers have the right to know how their money is being spent. In Nashua, that principle is now being tested. As the FY2027 budget moves forward, residents are being asked to accept a spending plan without access to the detailed line‑item information that has long been standard practice. That is not transparency; it is a step backward.
Budget transparency is not a partisan issue. It is a matter of accountability, fiscal responsibility, and respect for the people who fund city operations. When information is withheld from both taxpayers and the Board of Aldermen, it undermines the very foundation of representative government. Nashua residents deserve clarity, not closed doors.
Mayor Jim Donchess has publicly stated that he directed departments to limit budget increases to 3%. Yet the department totals in the proposed FY2027 budget tell a very different story:
- Public Health — 16.47%
- Administrative Services — 15.42%
- Public Service — 10.27%
- General Government — 9.25%
- Financial Services — 9.21%
- Community Development — 7.51%
- Education — 7.37%
- Public Works — 7.23%
- Fire — 5.43%
- Debt Service — 4.01%
These increases may or may not be justified, but without line-item detail, no one can evaluate them. Not the public. Not the Aldermen. Not the people who will ultimately pay the bill.
Budgets are moral documents. They reveal priorities, values, and long=term commitments. When the public is denied access to the specifics, it becomes impossible to understand what those priorities truly are. Transparency is what allows residents to ask informed questions, challenge assumptions, and hold leaders accountable.
Nashua has never operated this way. Previous administrations, regardless of political affiliation, provided full line-item detail as a matter of routine. Breaking from the tradition sets a dangerous precedent, one that could normalize secrecy in future budgets and weaken public oversight for years to come.
The Board of Aldermen now faces a defining choice. They can accept a budget that lacks transparency, or they can stand firmly for the taxpayers who elected them. A vote against the FY2027 budget is not a vote against city services or progress. It is a vote for accountability, openness, and responsible governance.
Nashua residents deserve a budget they can see, understand, and trust. Anything less is unacceptable.
