Town Elections 2005 Master Lists

[BlueLu]

I'd like to see a centralized place to find names and contact info for candidates and ballot propositions of interest to those who frequent this forum.? Seems like we know of a couple of school board hopefuls already.?

Maybe additions and commentary could be offered up on this thread, and items could be added to an actual list for each election cycle, maintained somewhere on the wiki.? I am most interested in the March 8, 2005, elections, since I will be in NH to volunteer, but there may be time to gather info for the January city elections too.? I was unaware of the January elections until just this week.

[jgmaynard]

It's ALWAYS election season in New Hampshire....

I THINK Jan is town meetings, and election of selectman in the towns?

JM

[BlueLu]

You just live in too big of a town.? The state sets out a schedule and process for towns to follow, if they have not gotten too big for their britches. ?

http://www.sos.nh.gov/webPOLCAL.pdf

I know that Dover does not follow this election schedule, but then they call their deliberative body a "city council", I think, which may make all the difference.? Towns having elections in March may all call their council "selectmen".? It would be interesting to see if this theory, based on just a few observations, is correct.

[jgmaynard]

The number of elections each year doesn't change with the size of the town or city you are in, just the dates and offices.

And 20,000 is JUST the right size for me... I don't WANNA have to drive 20 mins to the corner store...

JM

[BlueLu]

My first example is that the town of Sharon, which is just south of Peterborough and noted for its local artists, will be voting March 8, on whether to issue the first municipal bonds in the town's history.? The bond money would be for the purpose of building a new town office building.? Proponents complain that the old schoolhouse, where the town meetings now occur, is too small for the number of citizens who turn out for town meetings and is not adequately handicapped-accessible.?

It is impractical to try to expand the existing schoolhouse, because it is on historical registers that restrict what the town can do with its own building.? The town already has set aside $50,000 to pay for a new building, but this will not be enough to build it on land the town already owns.?

I am a big opponent of any government borrowing money to pay for anything, and this is the tack I would take in campaigning on this issue:? Fine if Sharon wants to build a new meeting house, but don't saddle future taxpayers with the bill.? It should be paid for up front.? This will also squeeze proponents of the plan into restricting it to being a new meeting house, and not a comfortable office for those who would be professional busybodies in the affairs of the townspeople.

[jcpliberty]

My first example is that the town of Sharon, which is just south of Peterborough and noted for its local artists, will be voting March 8, on whether to issue the first municipal bonds in the town's history.  The bond money would be for the purpose of building a new town office building.  Proponents complain that the old schoolhouse, where the town meetings now occur, is too small for the number of citizens who turn out for town meetings and is not adequately handicapped-accessible. 

It is impractical to try to expand the existing schoolhouse, because it is on historical registers that restrict what the town can do with its own building.  The town already has set aside $50,000 to pay for a new building, but this will not be enough to build it on land the town already owns. 

I am a big opponent of any government borrowing money to pay for anything, and this is the tack I would take in campaigning on this issue:  Fine if Sharon wants to build a new meeting house, but don't saddle future taxpayers with the bill.  It should be paid for up front.  This will also squeeze proponents of the plan into restricting it to being a new meeting house, and not a comfortable office for those who would be professional busybodies in the affairs of the townspeople.

I like your line of thinking 

JP

[BlueLu]

My next issue is that the Chair of the Board of Selectmen in Peterborough has suggested that parents of school children who ride the bus to school pay a $150 fee to defray the cost of the busses.? The busses are a large part of school district budgets.? The chair, Liz Thomas, is reacting to the furor over the increasing property taxes, most of which go to the school district.

Why not help property taxes go down instead of up, by charging more fees at the schools for things for which fees have been charged at other schools around the country, like athletics, music, and books?? Parents who are so poor they really cannot pay the fees could be offered waivers.? And I would expect alumni boosters to set up scholarship funds to make sure the the best athletes, musicians, chess players, etc. could participate, despite any financial hardship.

The point of all of this is that school board and selectman candidates could be induced to support the pushing of more school expenses away from the taxpayer and onto the users of the service.

Edit:  Added last paragraph.

[Kat Kanning]

Cool idea!  I like it.  I wonder what we could do to help this along?

[jcpliberty]

My next issue is that the Chair of the Board of Selectmen in Peterborough has suggested that parents of school children who ride the bus to school pay a $150 fee to defray the cost of the busses.  The busses are a large part of school district budgets.  The chair, Liz Thomas, is reacting to the furor over the increasing property taxes, most of which go to the school district.

Why not help property taxes go down instead of up, by charging more fees at the schools for things for which fees have been charged at other schools around the country, like athletics, music, and books?  Parents who are so poor they really cannot pay the fees could be offered waivers.  And I would expect alumni boosters to set up scholarship funds to make sure the the best athletes, musicians, chess players, etc. could participate, despite any financial hardship.

The point of all of this is that school board and selectman candidates could be induced to support the pushing of more school expenses away from the taxpayer and onto the users of the service.

Edit:  Added last paragraph.

I like this proposal as well. My dad ran for Selectman in my old hometown of Billerica, MA on very similar issues. This is very refreshing to hear once again!

Jim P.

[jcpliberty]

Cool idea!  I like it.  I wonder what we could do to help this along?

I'm thinking we should somehow get the Liberty Alliance involved...

Jim P.

[Kat Kanning]

Send the idea to the NHLA list?

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/NH_Liberty_Alliance/

[jcpliberty]

Send the idea to the NHLA list?

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/NH_Liberty_Alliance/

How am I *not* on that list?

That one sliped on right passed me!

Jim