Hampton voters reject $15.7M project to fix pothole plagued streets
HAMPTON – A $15.7 million bond project to reconstruct pothole-plagued Winnacunnet Road and High Street hit a roadblock at Tuesday’s Town Meeting.
While the majority of voters supported the project by a vote of 1,576 to 1,353, it didn’t receive the 60% needed to gain approval.
“I’m disappointed,” said Selectman Rusty Bridle. “Some of the biggest complaints in this town in the last three years has been the condition of the roads.”
“I guess they want to drive on those roads,” said Selectman Regina Barnes.
The article, which included funds to replace sewer/drainage and sidewalks, called for the town to bond $13.7 million over 30 years. The remainder of the balance would have come from the Road Improvement Capital Reserve Fund and the town’s unassigned fund balance, at a million each.
Hampton selectmen candidates weigh in on Facebook posts controversy
HAMPTON The four selectmen candidates running for two seats on the board in the town s March 9 election answered questions from the public Monday, including whether elected officials should be held to a higher standard for posts they make on social media.
The selectmen s race features incumbents Mary-Louise Woolsey and Jim Waddell, along with former state rep. Sharleen Page Hurst and retired Hampton police chief Richard Sawyer. All four participated in a virtual Zoom video conference candidates night hosted by the Hampton PTA.
The question regarding social media was in response to a non-binding petition article on the March 9 ballot calling for selectmen to add a social media policy and to create an ethics committee to field complaints from residents. A group of Hampton residents put forward the petition citing Selectman Regina Barnes’ political posts made on Facebook and Twitter that some, including Bl
HAMPTON – A petition warrant article put forward in response to Selectman Regina Barnes’ “offensive and degrading” Facebook posts is not legal, according to the town attorney.
Town Counsel Mark Gearreald told voters at Saturday’s deliberative session that Article 22 calling for a social media policy for selectmen and to create an ethics committee has no legal standing as “Town Meeting only has the authority that N.H. law gives to them.”
The article was put forward by Hampton residents outraged by Barnes’ political social media posts including one relating mask mandates and similar restrictions to “gas chambers” used in Nazi Germany and another stating If you can pretend Bruce Jenner is a woman & Kamala Harris is black, then you can definitely pretend I am wearing a mask.