7:22 a.m.
Tuesday, May 31, 2022 7:22 am
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To the editor:
Where's the $1.5 million?
May 3 the Rochester city council voted for $1.500,000 in over- budget spending from the cookie jar to be placed in capital reserve accounts. On May 16th I gave a right to know request to the city citing RSA Section 34:7 Payments From Surplus states : Whenever the city councils have voted in accordance with RSA 34:3 to transfer any accumulated surplus to the capital reserve fund, the city clerk shall forward immediately to the city treasurer a certified copy of said vote; and the city treasurer on receipt of
said copy shall transfer immediately to the trustees of trust funds of said city the amount specified in said vote.
said copy shall transfer immediately to the trustees of trust funds of said city the amount specified in said vote.Under 91-a I would like to review the certified copy of said vote as required by RSA 34;7 and to review any and all documentation of the treasurers actions and the dates also required by RSA 34:7
Simple right? Pretty self explaining right? Not in Rochester. Here's the response. Dated May20th from the City Solicitor. "Attached please find a copy of the certified cover letter regarding the minutes from May 3.... As to your request for documentation of the treasurer's actions, please be advised that no such information exists with regards to this request."
Really? I asked for the certified copy of the vote, as in Law, not the minutes of which, by the way, that certified copy was dated May 19th three days after my right to know request. As to the treasurer Not having any documentation at the time of my request? Then where is the $1,500.000?
Why is it that Rochester Right- to- Know requests go right to the city attorney? Why can't we get what we clearly ask for the first time? Why couldn't we be told where our $1,500,000 was at the time of the Right to Know request "Immediately" What the heck is going on in our fine city? What are they hiding and who besides the city solicitor is hiding it? I will keep asking these questions because, it is our money, our city, and our Right To Know. Copies of documentation verifying my actions and .comments have been provided to the Rochester Voice.
- Cliff Newton,
Rochester
State Representative Strafford District 9