SWANZEY, N.H. (MyKeeneNow) Voters will get their first look Tuesday night at a wide-ranging slate of issues that will appear on Swanzey’s March town meeting ballot, from next year’s spending plan to major capital projects, zoning changes and the future of a historic bridge.

The town’s deliberative session is scheduled for 7 p.m. at Whitcomb Hall, where residents can debate and amend warrant articles before final voting takes place by ballot on March 10.

At the center of the discussion is the proposed operating budget for the coming year, which totals just under $9 million. If the spending plan fails at the polls, a slightly lower default budget would automatically take effect under state law.

Town officials are also asking voters to weigh in on a bonded project to construct a new public works facility on Pine Street. The $1.2 million proposal would require a three-fifths majority to pass and includes a mix of bond financing and money from an existing public works trust fund.

Recreation and infrastructure investments are also on the agenda. One article recommends moving forward with more than $1.8 million in improvements to the Ashuelot Rail Trail. Most of the cost would be reimbursed through the state’s Transportation Alternatives Program, with the remaining share covered by the town’s fund balance, meaning no new taxes would be raised for the project this year.

Another high-profile question asks whether Swanzey should abandon its SB 2 form of town meeting and return to the traditional format, where all voting takes place in person at a single meeting. That proposal, which also requires a supermajority, has been recommended by the selectboard.

Several zoning changes proposed by the planning board will be up for discussion, including amendments that would allow accessory dwelling units in any district that permits single-family homes, without requiring a special exception. Other zoning articles address wetlands regulations, parking requirements and rezoning specific parcels to residential use.

Residents will also hear two citizen-petitioned articles concerning the Christian Hill Road bridge over the Ashuelot Rail Trail. One would delay removal of the historic bridge for a year while a committee studies the impact on the West Swanzey Historic District and reports back by October 2026. The second calls for preserving the bridge in its current location.

In addition to those items, the warrant includes articles on capital reserve funding, tax relief changes for elderly residents and disabled veterans, termination of an old tax increment financing district, and several smaller infrastructure projects.

Tuesday’s meeting is the first of two required sessions under SB 2. While no final votes will be taken on most questions, amendments approved that night will shape what voters see on the March ballot.