Special Board of Aldermen 09-16-2021 Page 5
such city so votes or 10 percent of registered voters files a petition so requesting the following special
question shall be presented to the voters of said election” and we all know what the question is. We have
67,249 registered voters here in the City of Nashua, times ten percent, is 6,725 petitions that you needed to
have filed. That wasn’t done. Instead, the goalpost was moved which typically happens when you try to
get an agenda through that you can’t meet the requirement. I’m guessing you probably used the last
municipal election of 10,265 people, times 15 percent, which would have been the 1,539 but that’s not what
the Charter says. You want to change the Charter, you’ve got to go by the Charter language. Ten percent
of the registered voters. So this should not be on the ballot. | want to thank the Board of Aldermen for
tabling this. | want to also thank everybody here in the room that this is not a party issue. It’s not. It’s not
Republican versus Democrat. We have prominent voices on both sides of the aisle either in favor or
against. So thank you for that. This is not a Democratic issue because our Mayor is a Democrat. Okay.
It’s not. This is all on him. He puts it out there that this is a citizen driven issue. No. He’s in the driver’s
seat. He drove it. He created the problem and he’s now trying to come up with a solution.
I’ve been friends with the Mayor for a long time. That probably won’t change but the one thing that will
change and | regret to say that | voted for you in the past and | will never do so again.
Alderman O’Brien
Thirty seconds.
Mike Soucy
Thank you.
Paul Garant
My name is Paul Garant and | live at 163 Harris Road. I’m also a sitting member of the Nashua Board of
Fire Commissioners. The position I’ve held for 18 years. | can’t speak with a mic with a diaper on my face.
I’ve held the position for 18 years. Having served through a term of three Mayors — Bernie Street,
Donnalee Lozeau, and the current Mayor Jim Donchess. As such, I’ve witnessed three different
approaches and the basic fundamental management of city styles from the corner office. Management
styles and approaches that if not for the interposition and independence of the Board of Fire
Commissioners from the direct intervention of City Hall would have resulted in an inconsistent approach to
the execution of basic responsibilities and of a fundamental public safety agency.
While the Board of Fire Commissioners of the five elected members is cleared from political inference of
City Hall and is the key to success of the department’s ability to manage and implement its programs and to
provide a responsive fire suppression and rescue service to a consistently growing community. The
independence from political pressure and influence of City Hall is the same freedom that operates that
benefits the Nashua police as a result of the interdependent extra municipal selection and appointment
process for members of the Police Commission. This independence from the political pressure has
assured the integrity of investigations involving local politicians.
One of the arguments and perhaps the argument which has given most attention by the Mayor and the
band of supporters that is going door to door securing signatures for the position to get this question on the
ballot is the lack of local control in the process of selecting and appointing Police Commissioners. The sad
part of the argument is that the claim that there’s no local involvement is in effect misleading and fails to
recognize the significant influence of the Mayor and the Board of Aldermen can bring to bear in the process
if they so desire. The Governor’s Council and the Governor’s Councilor, and the Governor do not pick
names out of the air...
Alderman O’Brien
Thirty seconds.
