Revision: Nov. 2, 2021, 3:08 p.m.
HB 1069 - AS INTRODUCED
2022 SESSION
22-2095
11/10
HOUSE BILL 1069
AN ACT relative to the election of village district commissioners within Belknap county.
SPONSORS: Rep. Silber, Belk. 2
COMMITTEE: Municipal and County Government
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ANALYSIS
This bill allows village districts located within Belknap County to elect 5 commissioners rather than 3 by a majority vote of the legal voters present and voting at an annual meeting.
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Explanation: Matter added to current law appears in bold italics.
Matter removed from current law appears [in brackets and struckthrough.]
Matter which is either (a) all new or (b) repealed and reenacted appears in regular type.
22-2095
11/10
STATE OF NEW HAMPSHIRE
In the Year of Our Lord Two Thousand Twenty Two
AN ACT relative to the election of village district commissioners within Belknap county.
Be it Enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Court convened:
1 Optional Election of Commissioners in Certain Districts. Amend RSA 670:2-a to read as follows:
670:2-a Optional Election of Commissioners in Districts Within Belknap County and the Towns of Merrimack and Hooksett.
I. Notwithstanding the provisions of RSA 670:2, any village district within Belknap county, the town of Merrimack, or the town of Hooksett may at any annual meeting under an article in the warrant for the meeting elect 5 rather than 3 commissioners by a majority vote of the legal voters present and voting at the annual meeting in the manner provided in paragraph II.
II. Upon written petition of 25 voters qualified to vote in a village district election and whose names are on the village district checklist, or 2 percent of such voters, whichever number is fewer, addressed and delivered to the commissioners not later than 35 days before any annual meeting, the following question shall be submitted to the voters at the meeting: "Are you in favor of increasing the number of commissioners from 3 to 5?" In districts having an official ballot, the question shall appear upon the ballot pursuant to RSA 670:7. In districts where no official ballot is used, the vote on this question shall be by special ballot. After the question, squares with the words "yes" and "no" shall be printed on the ballot in which the voter may mark his choice pursuant to RSA 670:7.
III. A village district which votes to increase the number of commissioners as provided in paragraph II may rescind its action in the same manner, except that the question shall read: "Are you in favor of decreasing the number of commissioners from 5 to 3 members?"
IV. If a district votes to increase or to decrease the number of commissioners, the change shall not take effect in either case until the first annual meeting following the meeting at which the question was acted upon, except as to a district within Belknap county, for which the change shall take place immediately upon receipt of the requisite number of affirmative votes for the proposed change.
(a) If the village district votes to increase the number of commissioners to 5, and its commissioners serve 3-year terms, at the first annual meeting following the vote the village district shall elect 2 commissioners for 3-year terms, and one commissioner for a one-year term. At the next annual meeting, the village district shall elect 2 commissioners for 3-year terms.
(b) If the village district votes to increase the number of commissioners to 5 and its commissioners serve one-year terms, at the first annual meeting following the vote, the village district shall elect 5 commissioners for one-year terms.
(c) At succeeding annual elections the village district shall fill commissioner vacancies as they regularly occur.
(d) If a village district votes to decrease its commissioners to 3, at the annual meeting following the vote, the terms of office of all the commissioners shall end and the village district shall elect 3 commissioners, as provided in RSA 670:2.
(e) For village districts within Belknap county, upon effectiveness of any increase in the number of commissioners, the additional commissioner positions shall be filled by a village district vote at the annual meeting at which the increase has been adopted. Any such additional commissioners shall be elected for initial terms of one year each.
2 Effective Date. This act shall take effect 60 days after its passage.