CONCORD, N.H. (AP) - New Hampshire Republican Gov. Chris Sununu has vetoed a bill that would have made it easier for state environmental officials to spend money on dam reconstruction projects without seeking approval of the governor and Executive Council.
Current law requires the Department of Environmental Services to seek such approval for all expenditures from the state’s dam maintenance fund that are in excess of $75,000. The bill Sununu vetoed would have raised the threshold to $150,000.
Department officials told lawmakers the higher threshold better reflects how much construction costs have risen since the threshold was set, and that increasing it would result in more timely repairs to state-owned dams. But Sununu said the change runs counter to the state’s tradition of careful fiscal management and he saw no compelling reason for it.
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