Legislative Update: Sowing the Seeds of Successful Advocacy

The information contained in this article is not intended as legal advice and may no longer be accurate due to changes in the law. Consult NHMA's legal services or your municipal attorney. 

Just as fall preparation is the secret to healthy spring/summer gardens, taking time to think about municipal advocacy now can only lead to more fruitful outcomes when hundreds of new bills sprout up in the new year. 

In the course of our advocacy efforts, NHMA regularly calls on local officials to share their perspectives and expertise with legislators. We are currently updating our guide to municipal advocacy and related materials to make them more accessible, digestible, and mobile-friendly. Our goal is to help local officials better understand the legislative process, communicate the importance of legislative advocacy to their communities, and work effectively with NHMA to represent their communities’ interests. 

The NHMA Legislative Advocacy Team will be hosting a webinar on December 9 at noon to introduce members to these updated materials and answer questions about advocacy. 

We all know that New Hampshire is not a “home rule” state. Cities and towns are political subdivisions of the state; as such, they have only the powers granted to them by the state legislature. However, state law authorizes municipalities to exercise a broad range of powers, such as raising funds through taxation or borrowing, enacting ordinances to regulate specific matters, purchasing and selling property, hiring employees, entering into contracts, and regulating land use through planning and zoning regulations. These powers may be exercised only within the limits authorized by state law. 

Consequently, there are many opportunities for legislation to affect municipalities. Some of these are obvious; for example, changes in statutes regarding town meetings and elections or the imposition of statewide zoning standards. Others are less obvious but may be even more important; for example, a change in the state meals and rooms tax rate or distribution formula, or changes in the state retirement system impacting employer contributions. 

With more than 1,000 bills filed in an average year, legislators may not always recognize how state legislation will affect municipalities unless local officials explain those effects. While our advocacy team works directly with the legislature, NHMA's collective influence depends on cities and towns making their voices heard. Every community can strengthen that influence
by staying informed, responding quickly, building relationships with legislators, and keeping NHMA updated on local concerns. 

We are dedicated to ensuring that the partnership between the legislature and our 234 communities is as productive as possible. While each community is unique, they share common
experiences and impacts from state policy. NHMA is here to amplify the collective voice and experience of New Hampshire’s cities and towns, serving as a bridge between local knowledge and state-level policy to ensure municipalities have a voice in shaping informed, effective, and sustainable state-level decisions.