Special Board of Aldermen 09-16-2021 Page 10
| was very concerned about the level of discord in our city and | know the way out of this is through it. We
have an election. We get to vote and we can have faith that the will of the people will prevail. | believe in
the voters. | think they’re smart, they get this, and they know what they think. No matter what you believe,
this is something that we can all figure out no matter which side you’re on. I’m just really concerned with
the amount of force that this exercise in democracy brought out in opposition and | hope that we can get
past that quickly and move on. For that reason, | hope that this measure passes right through because |
strongly would like to get our visions healed. | would like us all to be working together and | would like us to
be focusing on what Nashua can do to come back the extreme agenda being enacted in Concord because
that will have immense impact on public safety in Nashua. The extremists from towns have no mercy on
municipal laws that keep our city safe. Governor Sununu has signed into law extreme policy that has
resulted in protests and has elevated racial tensions and parental tensions across the State. | support the
testimony of Rep. Dutzy. As | know that the State the way it operates right now, there is no question that
Nashua can do the best job.
Along with my concerns about decisions that are being made in Concord, | share my continual horror that
millions of federal dollars are left on the table by this administration. Appointees to departments seem
underprepared and unaware of Constitutional constraints.
Alderman O’Brien
Thirty seconds.
Representative Suzanne Vail
Federal mandates that are attached to these dollars. So in summary, | just want to say that when | see
past this strife and how we’re going to figure this out, | know that we’re going to have a more diverse Police
Commission and | would hope that we have a social worker, a child, someone who struggles with mental
illness, any kind of person you can encounter out there who needs help from the police. This is our change
and we have to do it.
President Wilshire
Time.
Representative Suzanne Vail
Thank you.
President Wilshire
Thank you. Okay, we’re going to switch back to testimony in opposition and I’m going to start with Matthew
Gouthro and then we’ll come back to the chamber.
TESTIMONY IN OPPOSITION
Matthew Gouthro
Matthew Gouthro, 104 Fawn Lane. Mr. Mayor, Madam President, and our elected Aldermen and staff,
thank you for hosting this public meeting giving the residents and stakeholders here in Nashua an
opportunity to voice our opinion of this proposed Charter amendment. | feel like it was just a few weeks
ago that we were discussing this topic of changes to the Police Commission board and this body agreed to
send this to committee so that the process could be more carefully studied and if necessary, thoughtfully
presented to our voters. Unfortunately, our Mayor was not in agreement and in haste he went out door to
door with his supporters to gather signatures to get this past at breakneck speed.
