Aldermen advance Judith Carlson reappointment after debate over treatment of local arts groups

The Personnel & Administrative Affairs Committee recommended the reappointment of Judith Carlson to the Nashua Arts Commission after an extended committee debate about her conduct toward local arts groups.

Mayor Jim Donchas presented Carlson for reappointment and Carlson described decades of volunteer work with murals, the Performing Arts Center and the sculpture symposium. Several aldermen, led by Alderman Thomas Lopez, said they had received complaints — including from the Arts Commission chair and other community members — that Carlson had been unduly critical of a nonprofit known as Positive Street Art and had raised conflict‑of‑interest concerns in past procurement or selection discussions. Lopez said the pattern went beyond a single difference of opinion, arguing some artists felt “held at arm’s length” from opportunities.

Carlson denied that she had acted improperly; she said meetings and selection processes had given applicants equal review and that building owners had committed to mural maintenance in writing. “Other than that, I had never raised any other concern about Positive Street Art,” Carlson said in committee, adding she expected all applicants to be reviewed fairly. Several aldermen urged whoever had complaints to present specifics in writing or in person so the committee could evaluate them.

After multiple members debated whether concerns were hearsay or substantive, the committee took a roll‑call vote to recommend Carlson’s reappointment. The vote passed by a 3–2 margin and the nomination will now go to the full Board of Aldermen for confirmation. Members asked that any further allegations be submitted in writing and that the full board receive the liaison’s correspondence that prompted the committee discussion.

The committee did not remove Carlson from consideration; it forwarded the nomination with the record of the committee debate.