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August 05. 2012 10:41PM
New vote proposed on axing Rochester police commission
ROCHESTER — If voters decide to retain the police commission during the upcoming election, Mayor T.J. Jean said he will no longer be in favor of eliminating the elected board that he has described as “unnecessary.”
Officials will listen to residents’ views and concerns about the five proposed amendments to the City Charter during a public hearing, scheduled for Tuesday at 7 p.m. in City Council Chambers in City Hall.
City Manager Dan Fitzpatrick said voters will decide on the amendments, which he classified mostly as “housekeeping,” but also involves changes to the guidelines involving the board of assessors, the school board, merit raises and filling vacancies.
Copies of the proposed charter amendments are available for inspection in the City Clerk’s Office at 31 Wakefield St. or online at the city’s website: www.rochesternh.net.
If approved by voters at the polls, possibly during the November elections, the amendments will take effect Jan. 1.
Amendment 2 asks residents whether they want to eliminate the three-member police commission, a board of elected officials, and place administrative control of the police department to the city manager.
While residents decided in favor of keeping the commission last year, Jean said councilors decided to ask again during the November elections, which, because it coincides with the presidential election, draws large crowds to the polls.
Jean said only about 3,000 registered voters — less than 10 percent turnout — participated in the previous charter amendment vote and there were enough people who did not vote either way to create speculation.
“It was a real narrow margin,” Jean said, adding the new vote will provide the city with a definite answer.
In November 2011, residents voted 1,749 to 1,616 against the charter amendment that would have abolished the police commission. A total of 351 voters — about 9 percent of the 3,716 ballots cast — left the question unanswered, according to Assistant City Clerk Nancy Carrignan.
Jean said eliminating the commission will improve the already positive relationship the city and residents have with the police department.
“It’s not personal. You need to take personalities out of it,” Jean said, adding the Police Commission provides “unnecessary oversight.”
Amendment 1, which deals with the board of assessors, asks residents to empower the city manager to add another deputy city assessor — who is appointed by the city manager — to the board of assessors. As a result there would be three deputy city assessors — who do not have to be municipal employees — and the city’s chief assessor, who is a non-voting member, on the board.
As a prerequisite, all members of the board must have “demonstrated knowledge of property appraisal or assessment and of the laws governing the assessment and collection of property taxes,” according to the amendment.
Amendment 3 would allow the school board to set its meeting schedule in December, rather than at the meeting on the second Thursday in January, following a municipal election. Also, the first meeting in January would have to be held not later than the second Thursday of the calendar year.
Amendment 4 asks residents to revise amendments, as recommended by the city manager, to the city’s merit plan. Currently, a new member of the system, which is available to non-union municipal employees, takes effect within a month unless the city council vetoes it. If approved, amendments to the merit plan become effective upon a majority vote of the city council within 60 days of its submittal.
“This isn’t a budgetary issue,” Fitzpatrick said.
If approved, Amendment 5 would change the way the city council votes to fill vacancies in elected positions — from secret ballots to a majority vote during a public session.
jquinn@newstote.com
Officials will listen to residents’ views and concerns about the five proposed amendments to the City Charter during a public hearing, scheduled for Tuesday at 7 p.m. in City Council Chambers in City Hall.
City Manager Dan Fitzpatrick said voters will decide on the amendments, which he classified mostly as “housekeeping,” but also involves changes to the guidelines involving the board of assessors, the school board, merit raises and filling vacancies.
Copies of the proposed charter amendments are available for inspection in the City Clerk’s Office at 31 Wakefield St. or online at the city’s website: www.rochesternh.net.
If approved by voters at the polls, possibly during the November elections, the amendments will take effect Jan. 1.
Amendment 2 asks residents whether they want to eliminate the three-member police commission, a board of elected officials, and place administrative control of the police department to the city manager.
While residents decided in favor of keeping the commission last year, Jean said councilors decided to ask again during the November elections, which, because it coincides with the presidential election, draws large crowds to the polls.
Jean said only about 3,000 registered voters — less than 10 percent turnout — participated in the previous charter amendment vote and there were enough people who did not vote either way to create speculation.
“It was a real narrow margin,” Jean said, adding the new vote will provide the city with a definite answer.
In November 2011, residents voted 1,749 to 1,616 against the charter amendment that would have abolished the police commission. A total of 351 voters — about 9 percent of the 3,716 ballots cast — left the question unanswered, according to Assistant City Clerk Nancy Carrignan.
Jean said eliminating the commission will improve the already positive relationship the city and residents have with the police department.
“It’s not personal. You need to take personalities out of it,” Jean said, adding the Police Commission provides “unnecessary oversight.”
Amendment 1, which deals with the board of assessors, asks residents to empower the city manager to add another deputy city assessor — who is appointed by the city manager — to the board of assessors. As a result there would be three deputy city assessors — who do not have to be municipal employees — and the city’s chief assessor, who is a non-voting member, on the board.
As a prerequisite, all members of the board must have “demonstrated knowledge of property appraisal or assessment and of the laws governing the assessment and collection of property taxes,” according to the amendment.
Amendment 3 would allow the school board to set its meeting schedule in December, rather than at the meeting on the second Thursday in January, following a municipal election. Also, the first meeting in January would have to be held not later than the second Thursday of the calendar year.
Amendment 4 asks residents to revise amendments, as recommended by the city manager, to the city’s merit plan. Currently, a new member of the system, which is available to non-union municipal employees, takes effect within a month unless the city council vetoes it. If approved, amendments to the merit plan become effective upon a majority vote of the city council within 60 days of its submittal.
“This isn’t a budgetary issue,” Fitzpatrick said.
If approved, Amendment 5 would change the way the city council votes to fill vacancies in elected positions — from secret ballots to a majority vote during a public session.
jquinn@newstote.com