School Board Issue Will Be Decided by Queen City Voters
Some Question the Need for a New Consolidated High School — OPINION
MANCHESTER, NH — Some people faulted Ward 3 Alderman Pat Long for summarily dismissing the recommendations of the elected School Charter Commission without a thorough public hearing. The public hearing for Alderman Long’s revision of the School Charter Commission’s proposed City Charter changes has come and gone.
The People of Manchester were given their opportunity to way in on granting the School Board autonomy, including the power to override the tax cap with a supermajority vote. The two Republican rivals of Joyce Craig, who as mayor serves as chair of the Board of the School Committee, attended the hearing and delivered what essentially were campaign speeches.
Before the hearing, the usual suspects were a-bitching This is NOT democracy. This is NOT the way a healthy city government should function. Some of the more robust rabble rousers claimed that School Board autonomy was — beyond a way to outfox the tax cap — an invitation to graft.
Some claim it is clear is that the School Board autonomy question is linked to the building of a new super high school that mayoral candidate Rich Girard opposes. Girard, who handled city budget projections as Mayor Ray Wisczorek’s chief of staff, says the consolidated high school and other building projects may cost upwards of half-a-billion dollars.
Rumors of this nine-figure-costing super high school have circulated around City Hall for at least half the time I have covered the beat, since 2013. As one Queen City power broker told me, “All power is exercised behind closed doors.”
That is true of power. But what of democracy?
Well, Alderman Long’s proposed amendments, which were given the go-ahead to appear on the municipal ballot for an up-and-down vote by the citizenry, is democracy in action.
For better or worse — depending on your Point of View — the democratic process worked.
#richgirard #joycecraig #schoolchartercommisson #manchesternh
