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Wolfeboro Police Commission to pursue warrant article asking voters to expand panel from three to five members
Summary
Commission agreed to draft a petition/warrant article asking voters whether to expand the commission from three members to five; commissioners noted state legislative action also may be required because the commission was created by legislative enabling action.
Wolfeboro — The Wolfeboro Police Commission voted to prepare a warrant petition asking voters whether to increase the commission’s membership from three to five and to return to the legislature for enabling action if the town approves the change.
Commissioners said they have received multiple resident suggestions about adding two members to mirror other town boards and to broaden representation. A commissioner said the commission’s enabling authority originally came from an act of the state legislature, and town counsel advised that a local vote alone would be insufficient to make the structural change; the legislature also must act.
The commission reported that Representative John McDonald had agreed in principle to sponsor similar legislation if the town first approves a warrant article showing voter support. Commissioners voted to prepare and sponsor that petition/warrant article for the ballot next year and directed staff to draft the article language for presentation between now and January.
Commissioners also discussed increasing regular contact with the selectmen and town manager; they plan more frequent joint meetings, possibly quarterly, to coordinate on departmental and town business.
The motion to draft the warrant article passed by voice vote; the commission did not yet set final wording or a petition timeline and said it would return with a drafted article for review.
