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After public hearing, council agrees to forward petition and send letter urging protection of municipal revenues
Summary
Council heard a group petition and public comment asking Merrimack to urge the state to stop cost-shifting to local taxpayers; after discussion of charter timing and signature procedures, the council voted to send a letter of support and forward petition signatures to state leaders.
At a public hearing on March 26, petition organizers asked the Merrimack Town Council to call on the New Hampshire Legislature to protect local taxpayers by preventing state budget actions that shift costs onto municipalities and to restore municipal revenue-sharing.
Donna LaRue presented the petition’s text and asked the council to either forward the petition signatures to Concord or write a separate letter. She told the council the petition had been filed Feb. 10 as a group petition with roughly 52–53 signatures and that the original plan had been to place an advisory question on the town ballot but timing and the town’s charter requirements prevented that route.
Public commenters, including long-time homeowner Ben Niles and student Matthew Brown, urged the council to press the Legislature on the issue. Ben Niles said, "What I see happening in Concord totally dismays me and is frustrating," and said residents should contact legislators directly. Councilors discussed procedural constraints for group petitions under the town’s financial charter and agreed the council could either forward the signatures with a cover letter or send its own separate letter.
Councilor Nancy Murphy moved that the town council sign a letter in support of the petition’s request and to submit the petition warrant-article signatures as well to the governor, executive council and New Hampshire House members; the motion was seconded and passed unanimously, 7–0–0. Town staff volunteered to draft a short letter for council review and to circulate it for signatures so the council could send it promptly to Concord.
Councilors emphasized that the action is advisory—an expression of local priorities to the state delegation—and discussed whether the full list of signatories or a cover letter would be sent. Staff said they would draft a letter, share it with councilors and obtain signatures for mailing early next week.
The council’s action was limited to forwarding the petition/signatures and sending a letter; it does not change law and is an advisory communication to state officials.
