advocacy

We recognize you are a very busy person. With work, family and other commitments, who has time for legislative advocacy, right? Recognizing time as a formidable challenge, the New Hampshire Municipal Association (NHMA) has developed the 15 Minute Advocate Program to fit into the busy lives of our members. The goal is to provide information that members can quickly read, consider and take action on in 15 minutes or less.

The 2012 legislative session is already getting underway, and the New Hampshire Municipal Association (NHMA) Government Affairs staff is tracking actions of importance to municipal governments. Here's a crash course in the filing process and a review of topics of interest.

What Happens in Concord…
Unlike the slogan tied forever to the city of Las Vegas, what happens in Concord usually doesn't stay in Concord. In fact, what happens in Concord tends to trickle down to the local level; for better or worse, local officials have to live with all the laws passed by their state legislature.

People who knew Russ Marcoux say the longtime public servant was a model municipal advocate. “He was very passionate about his responsibilities and his commitment to the community,” said Crystal Dionne, Finance Director and Acting Town Manager in Bedford. “The title ‘Municipal Legislative Advocate’ fits him to a ’T.’” Last June, the staff at the New Hampshire Municipal Association chose Marcoux as the recipient of its first Municipal Advocate of the Year award.

By Barbara T. Reid

By Barbara T. Reid

The State of New Hampshire currently faces significant budget challenges. Municipalities are also facing significant budget challenges of their own, with losses in local sources of revenues, cuts in state aid and property taxpayers saying "enough!"

By Cordell A. Johnston

The New Hampshire legislature will begin its 2011 session on January 5, when both the House and Senate will meet. As this issue of New Hampshire Town and City goes to press, committees have been assigned and bills are being printed.

Barring unforeseen events, by the time you read this, the New Hampshire legislature will have finished its regular business for the 2011 session. At this writing, all bills that survived the committee of conference process were on their way to the full House and Senate for final action. June 23 was the last day for both houses to act on committee of conference reports.

Does your community have broadband or do you still have to access the internet by dial-up? If your community has cable, DSL, or other broadband service, do your residents wish they had more choices? Are you happy with the speed, service and price offered by your service providers? 

The New Hampshire Municipal Association (NHMA) Legislative Policy Conference will be held Friday, September 17, at 9:00 a.m. at the Local Government Center in Concord. Every NHMA member is encouraged to send a delegate to vote on legislative policy proposals for the 2011-12 legislative term.