News – Politics – Opinion – Podcasts
Laurie Ortolano 
A complaint was recently filed with Nashua’s Ethics Review Committee (ERC) accusing Mayor Jim Donchess of unethical conduct. At issue: his decision to use taxpayer funds to cover legal fees for Alderman Melbourne Moran, who was sued for defamation over statements a court later ruled were made in a personal—not official—capacity. Rather than question the … Read more
Nashua’s Treasurer’s deception and omissions regarding Nashua’s trust fund money were on full display at a Special Board of Aldermen (BOA) held last week. Dawn Enwright has 22 years of prior experience working as Nashua’s trust accountant from 2008 to 2012 and she has now returned as the City’s Treasurer and Tax Collector. The BOA … Read more
The City’s Trust Funds continue to be an item of interest as accounting for this money is troublesome. City leaders are now acknowledging publicly one issue as they have organized a special meeting titled “Trustees of Trust Funds” on Tuesday at 7:00 PM in the Aldermanic Chamber. However, no additional information has been provided to … Read more
It all began with a simple question. In October, I wanted to verify the balance in a special fund (Capital Reserve Fund) set up for the maintenance of the Performing Arts Center, which opened on April 1, 2023. The City’s Board of Aldermen (BOA) approved this fund in August 2023. It was meant to be … Read more
Disputes over municipal records in Nashua are characterized by significant contention. City officials operate through a distorted political lens. To engage with the Nashua government, one needs to align with their political views in order to receive cooperation and timely access to governmental records as required by New Hampshire’s Right-to-Know (RTK) Law (RSA 91-A). Any … Read more
A RECENT op-ed published in the Union Leader by Nashua Aldermen Tim Sennott, Tom Lopez and Melbourne Moran highlighted the need for aldermen and city leaders to rein in spending. Board members should view spending as a nonpartisan issue, recognizing the financial limitations that our citizens funding government face. While the op-ed raised important points, … Read more
I have written several articles labeling the judicial-legal system as one that operates on connections: it’s about who you know, not what you know. A recent article on GraniteGrok by Andrew Cline, titled “Rising Up, Not Against Institutions, but Elitism,” highlights that citizens are not opposed to institutions themselves but rather to the elitism represented … Read more
Nashua’s Mayor and the legal office have launched a full-scale attack on this citizen in response to my advocacy for transparency in the city. Their lack of transparency is evident in their attempts to shift 100% of the blame for the costs of Right-to-Know (RTK) cases and complaints onto the citizens, while denying any responsibility … Read more
Contracted legal fee agreements are approved by the Mayor and require no approval of the Board of Aldermen (BOA). The purchasing policy does not require the Finance Committee or Board of Aldermen to approve legal services above $25,000. The Mayor and Legal Office have unchecked control over the legal fee contracts and the terms and expenses associated with … Read more
The Federal Flag Hearing On Tuesday Morning, November 5, 2024, the Concord Federal Court held a merits hearing on the Scaer v City of Nashua First Amendment Flag case. The coincidence of our National Voting Day and this case could not be more fitting. I had the pleasure of attending. The City filed yet another … Read more
Nashua’s assessing office underwent significant changes between 2019 and 2021. These changes occurred when the Mayor, aware of the problems, failed to keep the lid on a dysfunctional office operating in disarray. The lack of management oversight created an unregulated environment, which eventually revealed itself and continues to reveal itself. The chief was at the heart … Read more
Why did the City spend $650,000 in attorney’s fees and City Costs in an RTK case? The First RTK Petition – My Costs – $225,000 I started seeking records in Nashua, the Welcoming City, in good faith, believing the City would comply. While New Hampshire’s Right-to-Know (RTK) law does not require employees to answer questions, … Read more
RebuildNH recently posted an article to their followers encouraging them to Vote NO on the Constitutional amendment to permit judges to serve until the age of 75: The following question will appear on the ballot this year: “Are you in favor of amending article 78 of the second part of the constitution to read as … Read more
Washington And Nashua Have A Lot In Common Selecting people for critical leadership roles and monitoring their performance is paramount to an effective government. We all watched a bizarre public outing of our president’s diminished capacity and analysis of his fitness for duty. Those closest to him failed the nation by covering this up and … Read more
Ending Gender Discrimination in Public Information Access I have faced unjustified obstacles and outright hostility for four years while attempting to access public information from Nashua under New Hampshire’s 91-A Right to Know law. What I’ve experienced goes beyond bureaucratic inefficiency to include gender-based discrimination. Nashua’s leadership treats women differently—and worse than men. The Disparity: Men … Read more
Alderman Moran’s behavior and comments at Nashua Board of Aldermen (BOA) meetings often seem bewildering and inappropriate. This was again illustrated at the BOA meeting of 24 September 2024 when he opined on taxpayers’ reactions to receiving their “surprise” property assessment mail. Excerpts from Alderman Moran’s comments during RESPONSE TO REMARKS OF THE MAYOR: https://youtu.be/nOf9YDorMgo?si=OvDACDlM_oauB9vo&t=797 … Read more
I currently have a Supreme Court Appeal (2024-0181) regarding a Right to Know petition to obtain public records from NPAC Corp. The Petition was dismissed as the lower court ruled that NPAC Corp. did not meet the requirements of a public body or public agency required to disclose records. However, NPAC Corp is the shell … Read more
On September 24, 2024, the Board of Alderman meeting opened a conversation regarding the new “surprise” assessments received by property owners that weekend. The Mayor explained that properties throughout the City had increased but had no hard data to support his numbers. Congratulating homeowners on their average 20% increases in their assessed values to highlight … Read more
This past Saturday, property owners were taken aback by the unexpected arrival of letters announcing new 2024 statistical citywide assessments. The suddenness of this news, even catching our elected Alderman off guard, sparked a wave of surprise and concern that reverberated across social media for two days, with nearly 1000 posts. Why is this so … Read more
We had property stolen from us in Nashua. It was a property we paid for with our tax dollars, which belonged to us. It was public property, where the money going in and out of it was to be accountable to citizens. We purchased the property in 2018 for just over $2 million. The Mayor … Read more