Board of Aldermen 5-26-2020 Page 5
We have, right now, we have more than 8,000 people who filed unemployment claims in Nashua.
Unemployment claims and they are out of work. Those are just people who are working for New Hampshire
businesses. The people who are out of work who had been working in Massachusetts are not included in those
numbers, so conservatively we can say that right this second there are 10,000 people out of work right in our
community.
Now the full economic effects of that have not been felt yet, because the Federal Government in spending what
trillions of dollars is providing, one thing they are trying to do, one thing that is a good thing that they are trying
to do is provide $600.00 per person, per week for all the unemployed people. But that ends soon. That ends in
July. We don’t know what we are facing down the road from that. Many cities around New Hampshire actually
and around the country are actually laying off and furloughing employees. We have been lucky to avoid that so
far. But we need to contain costs and be cautious as we go into the next year and years that follow. All the
people, all the economic experts here in New Hampshire, those who understand the New Hampshire Property
Tax, predict that the major impact will not be now, or even especially in the first part of Fiscal ‘21 but will be in
the year further on into the year and Fiscal ’22 and ’23. If we build non-sustainable budgets, that drive a
Department up basically 17% in two years, | just don’t think that’s, | Know that we cannot sustain that and that
we cannot afford the kind of tax increases that would result.
We know that others will be looking for the same kind of contract if it is granted to one employee organization.
And again, Madam President, | mean | know that we as a group, | know the Board of Aldermen have many
personal friends that are firefighters. We have had a good relationship with them over the years. | don’t like
having to say this, but | believe it is my responsibility to the entire community to do so. We cannot build non-
sustainable budgets that we just can’t support in the years to come. So | don’t want to elaborate further, but |
wanted to be forthright, put it on the table right at the beginning and let you know what | believe the picture
facing the City is. | know that if we work together, if we continue to right the virus, if we support the business
community as we have been doing, if we help the small businesses recover, maybe we won’t see — hopefully,
we pray we won't see a big decline in property values or that most people will get back to work quickly and the
strong economy that we had some months ago, pre-COVID19 will return. But we don’t and | am confident that it
will, but we don’t know when. It might take a while. So | want to be optimistic but | think we need to realistic and
cautious. In any event, Madam President, that’s what | have for you and | would be, of course, willing to answer
any questions if anybody has any.
President Wilshire
Thank you, Mayor. Responses to Remarks of the Mayor? Seeing none? Recognition Period.
RESPONSE TO REMARKS OF THE MAYOR - None
RECOGNITION PERIOD - None
READING MINUTES OF PREVIOUS MEETINGS
There being no objection, President Wilshire declared the minutes of the Board of Aldermen
meetings of May 12, 2020 and May 20, 2020 accepted, placed on file, and the reading suspended.
COMMUNICATIONS REQUIRING ONLY PROCEDURAL ACTIONS AND WRITTEN REPORTS
FROM LIAISONS
From: Laurie Ortolano
Re: Assessing Concerns and the Hiring of a Chief
From: W.R. Sutton
Re: Budget
