If any Nashua resident feels that the city is transparent, try obtaining the redacted New Markets Tax Credit (NMTC) emails that describe the cryptic scheme that resulted in the Performing Arts Center deal. The City does not want residents to see what was done behind closed doors.
The Court just denied my Petition for an in-camera review of NMTC redacted emails, claiming I did not have standing. I believe this is not the case for the redacted email review. I have filed a reconsideration with the Court. The City and Court do not want the public to understand what went down.
The Mayor has encouraged the Library Trustees to pursue another NMTC scheme to renovate the library. This is a bad deal. The emails appear to discuss how the city got away with taking bond money that was only to be used for construction and giving it out as a $7,108,850 loan, even though it is against New Hampshire law for a city to give out loans to for-profit organizations.
- Emails show that the City Attorneys and a hired attorney formed a for-profit corporation just before closing the deal in December 2020 but failed to inform the public and BOA of the nature of this corporation. These emails are heavily redacted and we need the court to review them.
- Emails appear to show that the city knew that the $7,108,850 loan the city gave out of these “bond processes” had to be recorded in the city’s financials but was not. It took a resident to point it out to the city and then had to wait for the city to record. This loan was given in December 2020; however, it was not acknowledged by the city until July 2023. However, the emails are heavily redacted, so we are missing important information which requires a court review.
- Emails appear to show that the city was required to pay all insurance on the building plus insure additional companies that are not owned by the city. These emails are heavily redacted, and we need the Court to perform an in-camera review.
- Emails appear to show how the city came up with the $500,000 taxpayer-funded payment on the building that taxpayers already paid $21M to construct. These emails are heavily redacted, and we need the Court to perform an in-camera review.
These are just some questions that could be answered if the city was willing to unredact these emails, however, the city is fighting tooth and nail not to allow residents to see them and the Court does not want to look behind the redactions. Citizens are 0-2 in trying to get the Court to conduct the in-camera review. The City is rolling these public-private partnerships out without regard to transparency. Study these emails and demand transparency. These emails are being delivered in 55 batches under 2022-029-OCC. This project is long over, and the City could just lift the redactions to see what Attorney Leonard, Attorney Bolton, Attorney Kaminski, and Mayor Donchess were thinking when they enacted this NMTC scheme.
All Nashua residents should want to know how their money is being spent by our officials.
