Special Bd. of Aldermen — 11/26/2018 Page 2
Testimony in Opposition
Fred Teeboom My name is 24 Cheyenne Drive. Before | make some comments, | have a question on Page 2
it mentions the word qualified person. It mentions it three times, | guess the appointed person. Just exactly
what is someone qualified person?
President Wilshire
My understanding or my best guess would be that it is a person that is eligible to vote in the City of Nashua
and someone that lives in the City of Nashua.
Fred Teeboom Why doesn’t it say that? Why does it say a registered voter in the City of Nashua.
President Wilshire
That’s the way it was approved.
Fred Teeboom_| don’t care how it was approved.
President Wilshire
That’s how it was approved.
Fred Teeboom_ Why doesn’t it say some qualified voter in the City of Nashua instead of some qualified
person. | have no idea who that is. It could be a pan handler. It could be the local janitor. | don’t know who it
is.
Steven Bolton, Corporation Counsel
Elsewhere in the City Charter it does define who is qualified to hold what offices. In most cases for City-wide
office one merely has to be a qualified voter within the City of Nashua. To hold the position of Ward Alderman
one must be a qualified voter within that Ward. That is defined elsewhere in the Charter, so the term “qualified
person” refers back to those qualifications.
Fred Teeboom Well then a reference should be made to that because I’ve never seen it
Attorney Bolton
Well when you write it Mr. Teeboom you can write it your way but that’s how it is. If you are suggesting that the
Board of Aldermen make an amendment, you have every right to make that suggestion. But berating the
President of this Board as to why it is written one way is not helpful.
Fred Teeboom | am not berating the President of the Board. | asked a question and I'd like to get an answer.
Attorney Bolton
And you’ve gotten an answer.
Fred Teeboom And the answer is unsatisfactory. | think there should be a reference to the fact what a
qualified person is in this language. Now as to my comments, why was a change made in 2005? Before 2005
there used to be a tradition that a replacement in a vacancy was usually the person who ran for election and
got the next highest votes. It was quite common. | recall before the Board of Education | had run one time
before 2005, | think | forgot when, in the late 1990’s and | come in as the next highest vote getter. Soon after
