The Moultonboro Citizens Alliance hosted a Right to Know Seminar on Monday August 10, 2009 at the Moultonboro Library. Guest speakers included Ed Naile of the Coalition of NH Taxpayers; Political activist and radio personality, Doug Lambert; and Tom Tardif former Mayor of Laconia.
We were very pleased to see members of some of our local boards in attendance. Two members of our Planning Board attended, along with the vice chair of the School Board, a member of the Library Trustees; and a member of the Lakes Region Planning Commission. Selectmen from other towns attended, but not from the town of Moultonboro.
The MCA would like to thank all the members of these boards for taking the time during the busy summer season, to attend this session. We also extend a heartfelt thank you to the general public that took time away from ball games etc to attend. The Right to Know law is one of the most violated laws in our state. We feel by informing as many people as possible, public as well as elected, the chances of breaking this law will decrease.
We would like to have seen other board members attend, including members of the Board of Selectmen. It has been brought to the MCA’s attention that there have been violations of the Right to Know law in the process of hiring a new police chief. This issue did come up at the seminar and was discussed at length by the panel that has years of experience taking such situations to court and winning.
No one wishes for our town to proceed without a new chief. We do wish that they simply abide by the law. Let’s hope that our Board of Selectmen realize that the citizens of Moultonboro are entitled by law to an open and transparent local government.
It would do the selectmen well to re-read Article 8, Part 1 of the New Hampshire Constitution:
“All power residing originally in, and being derived from, the people, all the magistrates and officers of government are their substitutes and agents , and at all times accountable to them.”
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