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Select Board hears update on Milford Volunteerism Project; members question links to warrant-article messaging
Summary
Town staff outlined a two-year volunteerism and community-marketing grant project. Some board members and residents warned against messaging that could be interpreted as advocacy tied to a pending warrant article (Article 10), and asked staff to keep volunteer outreach factual and distinct from election-related materials.
Town Administrator Lincoln Daley and staff updated the Select Board on the Milford Volunteerism Project, a two-year initiative funded by Volunteer New Hampshire to recruit volunteers and promote the town as a place to work and serve. The project scope includes department interviews, targeted messaging for fire-department volunteer recruitment and broader community outreach beginning in April.
Several board members and residents urged caution about tying the grant-funded outreach to a specific warrant article on the ballot (referred to in the meeting as Article 10). Selectman Chris Labonte and resident Gary Daniels raised concerns that language described as "aligning with" the article could be perceived as electioneering. Resident Catherine Coco asked that the project scope of work be shared with the board and reiterated concerns about wording that could look like advocacy.
Staff said the volunteerism messages being developed for the Milford Fire Department will be factual and focused on recruitment and retention rather than advocacy. The project team plans to complete internal interviews and to produce outreach materials and a messaging plan for Board review prior to community distribution.
Why it matters: Grants supporting volunteer recruitment can help staffing for emergency services and municipal programs, but messaging that appears to promote or oppose a ballot item risks violating rules about municipal neutrality during a campaign period.
Next steps: Staff will share the vendor—s scope of work and proposed messaging with the board and ensure outreach language remains factual and non-advocative. The board asked staff to avoid any campaign-like materials and to return drafts for review before broad public distribution.
