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.
The end of the year is upon us! At NHMA, that means two big things: getting ready for the next legislative session and hosting our annual conference. The Annual Conference will take place on Wednesday November 19 and Thursday November 20 at the Downtown Doubletree Hotel in Manchester. If you haven’t registered yet...time is running out! Registration closes on November 4, so if you are planning to attend, we encourage you to register ASAP. (Of course, walk ins are welcome!) I hope to see you there.
As always, our annual conference features two jam packed days of training for local officials, as well as time for networking and even some fun! Members can choose from over 50 educational sessions and explore the Exhibit Hall with over 100 vendors, games, and prizes. Feel like the pressure is getting to you? earn how to respond to challenges with humor during keynote speaker Jan McInnis’ “Bouncing Back: Handling Setbacks Like a Comedian” on Wednesday morning. Wednesday evening will also feature a cocktail hour reception, followed by a casino night themed dinner and entertainment event. So, roll the dice and come spend a couple of days with old and new friends at the annual conference—we think it’s a win-win!
But it can’t be all fun and games: The 2026 legislative session is already shaping up to be a busy one. Although there was much talk of legislators filing fewer bills in 2026, there are already nearly 1,100 legislative service requests (LSRs). Although some will be withdrawn, there are certainly more to come, too. Two public LSRs are focused on restricting NHMA’s ability to advocate for our members, while numerous other titles suggest new mandates and restrictions on local government decision-making and autonomy. So although we will have to play a fair amount of defense representing our members, I’m pleased to say that the NHMA Advocacy Team worked with numerous legislators over the summer to file a variety of bills that would enhance and benefit cities and towns, including bills to repeal and fix the most detrimental statewide zoning mandates passed last year. We will be calling on our members to enhance our advocacy by speaking to your own legislators, testifying at public hearings, writing op-eds, and any other activity that raises the voice of local governments, and the people they represent, over other special interests.
Finally, I want to welcome our newest staff member, Christine Fillmore Johnston, who joined the NHMA team last month. Christine comes to us with years of municipal law experience, most recently at the law firm DrummondWoodsum, but the beginning of her municipal law career actually tracks back to her days at NHMA! Jonathan Cowal and Christine Fillmore Johnston now both serve as Legal Services Counsel, and Senior Legal Services Counsel, Stephen Buckley, will retire at the end of the year, capping off a 40-year legal career and over 10 years at NHMA. Congratulations Steve and welcome (back) Christine!