What's New

The New Hampshire Department of Revenue Administration has approved the City’s 2020 tax rate for Fiscal Year 2021 of $14.70 per $1,000 of valuation.

City Manager Karen Conard noted the 2020 tax rate dropped by 16 cents or 1.1% from the prior year’s tax rate of $14.86. 

The City of Portsmouth has received two awards for exceptional financial reporting from the Government Finance Officers Association (GFOA) for the publication of the Comprehensive Annual Financial Report (CAFR) and the Popular Annual Financial Report (PAFR). The GFOA is a professional organization of public officials united to enhance and promote the professional management of governmental financial resources by identifying, developing and advancing fiscal strategies, policies and practices for the public benefit.

Pictured above, left to right: Matt Billings Project Manager, Martini Northern LLC, City Manager Karen Conard, 

The Prescott Park Master Plan Implementation Committee and the project consultant Weston and Sampson Engineers will host a public information meeting via Zoom on Thursday, October 29 at 6:30 pm. To register for the Zoom meeting, click here.

On Friday, October 23, 2020, the City of Portsmouth celebrated the completion and opening of the $4 million conversion of a former Army Reserve center at 125 Cottage Street into the City’s Senior Activity Center. Participating in the ribbon-cutting were City Manager Karen Conard, Mayor Rick Becksted, Recreation Board Chair Carl Diemer and Martini Northern LLC Project Manager Matthew Billings.

The City of Portsmouth is working to complete a project to add pedestrian and bicycle improvements along Elwyn Road between Lafayette Road and Harding Road under the New Hampshire Department of Transportation’s (NHDOT) Congestion Mitigation and Air Quality Program (CMAQ).  Based on Elwyn Road’s lack of pedestrian and bicycle facilities, the City was awarded a grant for this project and is working with CMA Engineers, Inc to complete the project design, which is propo

The Mayor’s Blue Ribbon Committee on Sustainable Practices presents a virtual community discussion on October 22 at 6:30 pm via Zoom to provide an update on the committee’s work in support of Portsmouth’s Eco-Municipality commitment. The committee also introduces a workshop on “How Portsmouth Can Apply Project Drawdown Tools to Help Achieve a Climate-Safe Planet.”

Five students from the We Speak social justice group at Portsmouth High School accomplished the goal of their appeal to the City Council at the meeting on October 5. The Council approved unanimously the motion offered by Councilor Cliff Lazenby that “the City of Portsmouth recognizes October 12, 2020 as Indigenous Peoples Day alongside Columbus Day.”

Portsmouth Announces Trick-or-Treating Hours and COVID-19 Safety Guidelines