Vote NO on ballot Question 2
Citizens who vote on ballot questions have an obligation to understand the proposals. Before casting a vote on Question 2, please review https://citizensforabetternashua.com
Following are reasons why many concerned citizens* who have reviewed that website feel that a NO vote is warranted:
1. Prior to a Board of Aldermen (BoA) vote on RS-21-143 (Proposing an Amendment to the City Charter Relative to the Manner of Appointments to the Nashua Board of Police Commissioners) there was onlyone public hearing (Special Board Meeting on June 7th). It lasted only one hour and eighteen minutes.
2. On August 8th, the Board of Alderman vote rejected (8-6) passage of RS-21-143 with many commenting that the proposal had not been adequately studied. These eight Democrats all voted against RS-21-143:
Lori Wilshire, President, BoA
Michael O'Brien, Vice President, BoA
June Caron, Ward 7
Ben Clemons, At-Large
Richard Dowd, Ward 2
Shoshonna Kelly, At-Large
Elizabeth Lu, Ward 6
Dave Tencza, At-Large
3. After the RS-21-143 motion failed, as stated above, the Board voted to table RS-21-143 (13 Yea and 1 Nay). Despite RS-21-143 being rejected and then tabled by the Board, the mayor encouraged a “people’s petition” to repurpose the rejected amendment as a ballot question. The mayor personally obtained and witnessed approximately 800 of the 1,830 certified signatures on the petition. He was the single most active player on the team to push this change through at breakneck speed. Since approval will transition appointment and dismissal of Police Commissioners to himself, we feel his involvement was self-serving and his motives are unclear.
4. Voters will only have a summary of the actual proposal on the ballot (“Shall the City approve the proposed Charter Amendment summarized below.” ) Details matter, of course. Citizens deserve to know exactly what they are voting for or against.
5. Besides the majority of the Board of Aldermen, the current Police Chief and past Chiefs are opposed to the proposal. The Police Union and the current Police Commissioners are also opposed. Following is an excerpt of comments by Police Chief Carignan at the 7 June Special Board meeting: “I’m opposed to this legislation because it brings local political control into the daily management of the police department. With that local political control comes local, political influence. That can be a dangerous thing. …… With local political control, it brings political influence over the daily operations of the police department.”
We urge you to vote NO on Question 2. Any major proposals to the City Charter such as proposed by Question 2 should have the support of city Aldermen as well as our police leaders, be more openly explained to citizens and carefully considered by all voters.
Again, for more information go to https://citizensforabetternashua.com. If time permits, reach out to any of the above-mentioned Aldermen to find out why they opposed RS-21-143 and/or any of the three current Police Commissioners. Their names and contact numbers are listed here:
http://www.nashuapd.com/?A=Police%20Commissioners
*Citizens for Careful Consideration of Referendum Question 2