Waterville Valley residents, property owners, and stakeholders gathered virtually for a community forum to discuss the fallout from recent town budget decisions, their impact on local organizations and services, and ways the community might respond. The wide-ranging conversation also included updates on the close of the ski season and upcoming events.
Ski Season Wrapping Up After Strong Winter
The forum opened with an update on the current ski season, described as one of the best in recent memory due to consistent snowpack and minimal freeze-thaw cycles. The resort plans to remain open through April 11th — its original closing date — to provide employees with certainty about the end of the season. The second Sunday of April is planned as an employee ski day to celebrate the team’s contributions. Cross-country skiing was also singled out as exceptional, with Tripoli Road noted as particularly scenic during the forum (link).
Budget Cuts Hit Local Non-Profits
A significant portion of the discussion centered on the town’s recent budget reductions, which followed a town meeting vote to reduce the proposed $7.5 million budget to approximately $7 million — requiring the Select Board to identify roughly $500,000 in cuts (link).
A representative of the Waterville Valley Athletic and Improvement Association (WVAIA) expressed concern over the organization’s town funding being cut from $10,000 to $2,500. Those funds have historically supported essential trail maintenance work, including the relocation of Mad River Path, a full rebuild of a flood-prone section of Kettles Path, repair of a mudslide near the top of Cascade Ridge, restoration of the Goodrich Rock Ladder, and new steps at Fletcher Cascade. The representative noted that WVAIA also removed 260 blowdowns over the past two years to keep trails safe, comparing the organization’s role to that of the Department of Public Works for town roads. The group is actively seeking alternative funding sources to avoid cutting back on trail stewardship (link).
Community Group Forms to Channel Charitable Giving
In response to the funding cuts, a resident announced plans to organize a group, tentatively called “We the People,” that would use the Waterville Valley Foundation as a conduit for tax-deductible charitable contributions directed toward local organizations that lost town funding. The organizer noted that not all affected entities — such as the town library — are structured as independent charities, which affects deductibility, and said more details would be available within a week or two (link).
Fourth of July Fireworks Contract at Risk
Participants raised concern that the town’s budget eliminated 100% of funding for the Fourth of July fireworks. With the fireworks vendor set to cancel its contract by April 1st without a payment commitment, the timeline for securing alternative funding is tight. The Waterville Valley Business Association (WVBA) has reportedly committed $3,000 toward the event. Resort leadership confirmed that contact has been made with the fireworks company to keep the contract in place while community funding options are explored (link).
Budget Structure Scrutinized
A community member with prior experience serving on a select board in another town offered a pointed analysis of the cuts. While acknowledging that the strong town meeting vote reflected genuine concern over a budget that reportedly grew by roughly 50% over three to four years, the speaker argued that the current round of reductions — targeting non-profits, one-time items, and deferred maintenance — does not address the structural drivers of cost. With personnel comprising approximately 60% of the town’s budget and debt service accounting for another 10–15%, the speaker suggested it would be difficult to achieve lasting savings without examining staffing levels, benefit structures, or service delivery (link).
Other participants echoed this view, noting that the Select Board appeared to have had very little time to develop a more thorough approach, given a state deadline requiring the revised budget to be submitted by the end of the month. Several speakers emphasized that cuts to small line items such as WVAIA funding, the Rey Center, and the fishing derby fundraiser amount to a small fraction of the $500,000 target and that more substantive structural changes will likely be necessary in future budget cycles (link).
Transportation Services Face Restructuring
Resort leadership addressed questions about the future of the town’s trolley and shuttle services. Transportation costs are currently split with the resort covering 50%, the Waterville Valley Lodging Association (WVLA) covering 25%, and the town covering 25%. With the town’s share eliminated from the budget, resort and lodging association representatives said they will need to reassess routes and service levels for both summer trolley operations and the Schuss Bus heading into next winter. No specific changes have been finalized (link).
Proposals for Financial Oversight and Efficiency
Participants proposed several ideas for improving financial oversight and operational efficiency. One suggestion was to explore whether certain town services — such as vehicle registration — could be shifted to online platforms or consolidated with neighboring municipalities to reduce overhead. Another idea, raised by multiple attendees, was the formation of a business advisory committee composed of residents with financial and business expertise to assist the Select Board (link).
It was reported that the Select Board has already voted to establish an informal financial advisory committee consisting of a Select Board member, a Planning Board member, and three residents. A separate question was raised about a more formal, elected budget committee, which under state law would require a warrant article at a future town meeting to establish. Multiple participants indicated they expected such a warrant article to appear — either from the Select Board or through a citizen petition — at next year’s town meeting (link).
On the question of town management, it was confirmed that interviews for a new Town Manager have recently begun.
End-of-Season Events Ahead
Despite the budget tensions, several celebratory events are planned to close out the ski season. A dual racing event on Tommy’s World Cup trail is scheduled for the coming weekend, hosted by BBTS. The second annual Henderson Invitational — a freestyle competition and fundraiser featuring Olympians Grace and Hunter Henderson — is set for early April on the resort’s new exhibition terrain park, with a meet-and-greet event the preceding Friday evening at the freestyle lounge. A pond skim event is also planned for April 4th (link).
The Nordic Center remains one of the few still operating in New Hampshire, with cross-country conditions described as outstanding.