A Message from the City Manager

Good Day Franklin,

It was brought to my attention that there may be some confusion over petitions, specifically, why they are handled the way that they are.

While New Hampshire RSA 39:3 requires the petition be evaluated for registered voters, it does not limit the Council’s capacity to listen to and take advice from anyone regarding any subject. People from Meredith, Laconia, Portsmouth, Texas, Montana, Alaska, South America or even the international space station could give their opinion to any councilor.   Opinions can come from old, young, working, retired, rich, poor, etc. There are no limitations on where and from whom opinions can come from and there are no limitations on which opinions the council finds helpful/relevant.

With that said, I am reasonably confident that Franklin’s City Councilors take opinions very seriously from those who are stakeholders in Franklin. Stakeholders include, but are not limited to, residents, property owners, business owners and City employees.  Please do not assume that the requirements of the State RSA on petitions limits your voice.

I want to personally thank the residents who brought this forward and asked for clarification on this issue. We’re in this together.

Have a Wonderful Weekend,