NASHUA – The proposal to do away with the century-old city charter provision that authorizes the sitting governor to appoint Nashua’s three police commissioners, and replace it with a system whereby the mayor and the aldermanic president would handle the appointments could very well open the door to political cronyism, opponents of the proposal told members of an aldermanic committee recently.

Just over a dozen residents voiced their opinions on the proposal at a public hearing, which was conducted by the aldermanic Personnel and Administrative Affairs Committee with committee chairwoman June Caron, the Ward 7 alderman, presiding.

Residents speaking in favor of the amendment say the change to local control would increase transparency during the appointees’ vetting process, in large part by giving the public the opportunity to weigh in on the process as it proceeds.

Some opponents asked why the proponents of the charter change are introducing the proposal now.

“It’s time. It’s time Nashua residents have a voice in the affairs of their police department,” Ward 3 alderman Trish Klee said in explaining the wording of the amendment.

With the public hearing having taken place, members of the Personnel and Legislative Affairs Committee will now vote on whether to reccommend the proposal to the full Board of Aldermen.

That vote is on the agenda for the committee’s next meeting, scheduled for July 6.

Should the full board approve the measure, it will then be placed on the ballot as a referendum item for the Nov. 2 municipal election.

Considered archaic by many, the current system has indeed been around for awhile, having been written into the city charter in 1913, some 108 years ago.

If voters give the resolution a thumbs-up, the current commissioners – Jim Tollner, Nicholas Dahl and Matthew Plante – will fill out their terms, at which time the new system will take effect.

Under the proposal, if passed, the commission will be expanded from three to five members.

The appointment process will also be expanded, with the governor, the mayor, and the aldermen taking part in either appointing or confirming the commissioners.

All five appointees will serve three-year terms, which will be staggered to avoid all five seats coming up for appointment at the same time.

Appointments, according to the proposal, will be based upon candidates’ “qualifications, merit and record of community service,” while the mayor and aldermanic president “should use their best efforts to balance the membership of the commission to reflect the citizenship of the city.”

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