The New Hampshire Secretary of State maintains the REDBOOK, which is a list of all the boards and commissions in the state. It contains the qualifications needed for each of them, with a list of those currently serving and the existing vacancies. As you read down the 197-page document, it will occur to you that there are a lot of vacancies that need to be filled, and many that are never filled.

Here is the current REDBOOK description (Page 96) of the requirements for Police Commission:

Police Commission

Three persons appointed by the governor and council. No more than two shall be of the same political party. Term, three years (from September 1) and until successor is qualified.

Laws of 1913, 148:1, 2. Laws of 1947, 342. RSA 105-C:3 Nashua

NICHOLAS DAHL, Nashua October 21, 2015 to September 1, 2024

JAMES R. TOLLNER, (r), Nashua June 24, 2015 to September 1, 2022

MATTHEW PLANTE, Nashua April 20, 2016 to September 1, 2023

•••

Here are the qualifications needed for the Agricultural Lands Preservation Committee (Page 12)

Agricultural Lands Preservation Committee

Consists of seven voting members and two non-voting members as follows: the commissioner of the department of agriculture, who shall be chairman; the commissioner of the dept. of resources and economic development, or his designee; the director of the office of state planning, or his designee; the secretary of the agricultural advisory board; three members, two of whom are owners and operators of farms in the state, who shall be appointed by the governor and council for terms of three-years. The dean of the college of life sciences and agriculture of UNH and the New Hampshire state conservationist of the United States Department of Agriculture soil conservation service, or their designees, shall serve as non-voting members. RSA 432:19

PETER S. HELM, Contoocook

January 30, 2008 to October 10, 2020

JANE A. PRESBY, Concord

October 3, 2012 to October 10, 2018

DWIGHT E. BARNEY, Lee

October 31, 2007 to October 10, 2019

•••

There are more qualifications specified for the Agricultural Lands Preservation Committee than there are for Nashua Police Commissioner. Per the REDBOOK, a Nashua Police Commissioner apparently doesn’t even need to live in Nashua. Additionally, since it states that not all commissioners can be of the same political party, it infers that the commission is political in nature. Any of us can change our party affiliation in a day to meet this qualification. Does it really mean we espouse the views of that party?

Furthermore, notice is NEVER given to Nashua city government when a vacancy occurs or who has applied for the position. It is all VERY opaque. Yes, the information is available, and yes, if one is paying attention, one can TRY to find out what is happening, but asking for information and getting it is two different things.

This is exactly why the process for appointing Nashua’s Police Commission needs to change, and why every city and town in New Hampshire has local control except us. Bringing it under local control will bring it into the sunlight, and that’s a good thing for Nashua and its residents.

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