Special Bd. of Aldermen — 11/26/2018 Page 3
that election was completed, people had to be sworn in, somebody resigned, they moved out of the City. So |
appeared and | said “Well I’m the next highest vote getter, so | should take the seat”. Now the tradition
suddenly changed. They didn’t want me on the seat, not on the Board of Education. And then it happened
again. And that’s a problem, you have appointed members, ok, they become a favorite of the Board but not
necessarily a favorite of the electorate. The example | gave are real examples. And that’s why this shouldn’t
change.
Now you can argue that the Board of Public Works is not all that important, in fact there was a valid question to
get rid of the Board of Public Works and that did not succeed to get the votes to get rid of the Board. The
Board of Fire Commissioners, nobody quite knows what they do other than approve salaries of the Chief. The
Board of Education, the Board of Aldermen are important Boards. The Board of Education got to spend more
than half the money of the budget. The Board of Aldermen you are sitting on. So that should not change. The
fact that there may be an expense involved, | just got through the election myself, | lost. I’m not sitting here
complaining, | lost, | can complain how it happened, but I’m not complaining about why | lost.
In an election the electorate votes and this is an important Board, the Board of Aldermen, and the Board of
Education is an important Board. So if anything those two Boards should not have appointed members. |’ll
give you another Boards, there are many other Boards that are not even on this paper. Cable Television
Advisory Board; Board of Assessors, many boards that aren’t even in the question and I’m not sure anybody
really cares if they are appointed or elected. But the Board of Education and the Board of Aldermen, it is very
important.
There is another Board that is not mentioned here at all, the Board of Police Commissioners. The Board of
Police Commissioners used to be elected or appointed, | forgot which but they were not appointed by the
Governor. Why are they appointed by the Governor? Because sometime, maybe 50 years ago, there was
serious corruption in the City of Nashua, very serious corruption and they let an uproar, many things
happened, a lot of things happened and the Governor allowed by State Law to appoint the Commissioners on
the Board of Police Commissioners. There is supposed to be a question and | have not researched that lately
that question is supposed to come back before the voters, do you want the Governor to appoint the Police
Commissioners or do you want the voters to elect the Police Commissioners. | haven’t seen that question on
the ballot and | am going to research it but the Police Commissioners is not on this list either. And that is an
important function.
So for all these reasons | am opposed and | should say many should be opposed. | have one further question.
When it appears on the ballot, will the City publish pro and con arguments required on the Charter? Do you
have an answer?
President Wilshire
| don’t this is public comment.
Fred Teeboom No this is not public comment this is a public hearing, that’s the question. Are you going to
publish and pro and con arguments.
Attorney Bolton
| don’t believe that is required under State Law, if it is required it will be done.
Fred Teeboom It is required under Charter Mr. Attorney.
Attorney Bolton
Charter has been superseded by State Law which preempts the field Mr. Teeboom.
