The director of the New Hampshire State Police, who already got a pay bump earlier this year, secured a second raise on Wednesday that’s set to take effect before 2026 arrives.
Colonel Mark B. Hall, who has been State Police director for a little over two years, was unanimously approved by the Executive Council to begin earning an annual salary of about $171,300 later this month. That is 25.7 percent higher than what he was earning a year ago.
Department of Safety Commissioner Robert L. Quinn said the increase is needed to resolve a disparity between Hall’s salary and that of a lieutenant colonel who works under him. Quinn cited a provision of state law that authorizes compensation above the typical statutory maximum if an unclassified employee’s salary would otherwise be less than that of a subordinate classified employee.
Get N.H. Morning Report
Advertisement
A weekday newsletter delivering the N.H. news you need to know right to your inbox.
In this case, Hall’s raise is designed to keep his salary $1,000 higher than that of Lieutenant Colonel Matthew S. Shapiro, who is serving as State Police executive major. (The council has used this mechanism for other positions this year as well.)
Hall actually saw his overall pay dip a bit after he transitioned into the top State Police job. In 2022, when he was a captain, Hall was paid about $132,000, counting overtime, holiday pay, and more, according to TransparentNH records. Two years later, as director in 2024, he was paid about $129,900, all regular pay.
That said, in switching from a classified position to his unclassified post in 2023, Hall was able to cash out the unused paid time off he had accrued. That contributed to a payout of more than $72,000, which resulted in his being paid a total of about $216,100 that year, according to records from the New Hampshire Department of Administrative Services.
Hall didn’t respond this week to a request for comment from The Boston Globe about his raise, though a spokesperson for the Department of Safety provided information in response to questions.
Advertisement
Other updates from the State House:
Republican lawmakers tried to salvage their 2025 legislation that Governor Kelly Ayotte vetoed, but every single override vote failed. (Read more)
In the wake of a deadly shooting at Brown University, state lawmakers are calling for 2026 legislation to override gun-free policies on New Hampshire campuses. (Read more)
This story appeared in Globe NH | Morning Report, a free newsletter focused on New Hampshire, including great coverage from the Boston Globe and links to interesting articles elsewhere. To receive it via email Monday through Friday, sign up here.
Steven Porter can be reached at steven.porter@globe.com. Follow him @reporterporter.
Duane Ford has managed budgets for the Bow and Dunbarton school districts for more than a decade, but nothing quite prepared him for this year’s health insurance bill: a 16% jump in premiums, the steepest increase he’s ever seen. “It’s a part of the budget that we don’t have any control over,” he said. The […]
The federal government has activated the New Hampshire National Guard’s 157th Air Refueling Wing in connection with the war with Iran.
“I’ve had a briefing myself, a classified briefing, but it’s really important on the messaging on this that we really coordinate with the Pentagon,” Gov. Kelly Ayotte told reporters during a press briefing following Wednesday’s Executive Council meeting.
Ayotte said she was unable to share additional details about the nature of the New Hampshire National Guard’s activity related to the conflict, including how many guard members have been activated or what role they are playing.
“We’re going to respect what messaging comes out of the Pentagon just to make sure that our men and women in uniform are fully protected and that we aren’t providing any information that could be used in a way that would be harmful to them,” Ayotte said.
Advertisement
In a statement Thursday, Ayotte said the unit had been deployed in late February to the U.S. Central Command area of responsibility in support of the operation.
Pease Air National Guard KC-46 Pegasus air refueling aircraft in June 2023.
Earlier this week, Pentagon officials confirmed that members of the Vermont National Guard were involved in attacks against Iran over the weekend, though our news partners at Vermont Public were not able to confirm additional details on the nature of the operation.
During the briefing with local reporters, Ayotte also stressed her support for servicemembers and those close to them.
“I have such respect for our men and women in uniform,” Ayotte said. “As you know, I come from a military family, and they have our full support, and we appreciate them and their families, and obviously anyone who is serving right now, and my thoughts and prayers go out to those who have lost someone that they love.”
